Magical Secrets at Sea
by digisammiegirl
Summary: Harry has a secret. No one knows about it and he'll be damned to Jones' Locker if anyone ever did. Harry Potter and post Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End crossover.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Alright, to those hoping, and know what I'm talking about, to see a Digimaster of Hope update, I'm sorry to say this isn't it. It has been several years since I've done any fanfiction of any sort. For reasons why, please eventually read my profile. I plan to have that updated ASAP.

Again, this is my first fanfiction in a long time. I just saw Pirates of the Caribbean: At Word's End and just had to do something like this. Please, don't ask why, I just wanted to. I'm only going to post this for now and see what kind of feedback I get. If it good enough, about 5 reviews in my books, I might update it, but no guarantee.

Also, for those wondering about the title, I'm still working on it.

**Warning: For those who haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean: At Word's End, please don't read for there are minor spoilers at the moment and there will be major ones later on if this story continues.**

Disclaimer: All characters belonging to Pirates of the Caribbean and its works and Harry Potter and its works belong to their respective parties. I in no way, shape, or form own any of the characters used in this work of fan made fiction.

Magical Secrets at Sea

An owl screeched its attack as it swooped down on a mouse hidden in the bushes. An elderly woman watching the skies unconsciously fisted her hands as she watched dinner being served, waiting for the man she answered to finally arrive with his precious cargo. Professor McGonagall was not a witch known for her patience, especially on this particular cold June night. Glancing once more in the window of the Muggles she had watched all day as they sat about the telly, she gave a sigh of relief as she finally spotted the aged wizard coming down the lane, slowly descending the neighborhood into darkness with a small bundle in his arms. McGonagall began to tap her foot before deciding to meet the Headmaster.

"Albus, you can not seriously mean to leave the boy with these Muggles. They are the worst sort of Muggles you could ever fine. Why, their boy hit the mother as they were going to market for candy."

A long, grayed beard crinkled at the mouth in a sad smile. "I know, Minerva, but it is the best place for him. Here he will be safe from the curses of fame until he is ready for it. As much as I would love to find an alternative solution, with Voldemort's followers still in revolt, I'm afraid this is the safest course of action," the wizard explained before his Deputy Headmistress could say anything more. After placing the tiny bundle, now seen to be a babe of no more than a year old, on the steps of Number 4 Privet Drive, he removed a letter with the Hogwarts crest, his beloved school in which he hoped to see the boy attend in ten years time, and placed it on top of the slumbering boy.

Hasting his Deputy down the drive, he looked once more past the perfectly trimmed hedges and neatly cut grass to the boy. "Good luck, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived." With this final good by, the wizard disappeared out of sight.

The witch, though trusting the Headmaster immensely, still feeling as though things were not right, too looked back at the boy and gave her own farewell, "May you be in the gods good favor, Harry Potter." Turning back around, she too disappeared as though she were never there.

An owl screeched its attack as it swooped down on a mouse hidden in the bushes. A dark young woman, her head adorned with black dread locks and her feet as bare as the day she was locked in her form, removed her self from the shadows and made her way to the stoop of Number 4 Privet Drive, where young Harry lay. Stopping at the start of the steps, she looked over her shoulder where the witch had disappeared before sitting down and drawing the babe into her arms. "Oh yes, young 'arry. This god 'as much favor in you," she declared as she laid Harry back on the stoop, the letter still in the same place, but now with a seashell on top of it. Kissing his forehead, the woman stood and made her way back into the shadows, though she did not look back as the drive was once more filled with the light of the streetlamps, a smug smirk on her lips as she too vanished into the shadows.

Simultaneously, two sea faring captains suddenly stopped as a shiver raced up their spines. Fearing the worst, as instinct had never lead them wrong before, they ordered a search of their respective ships for anything amiss. When nothing turned up, they both pushed the shiver to the back of their minds, storing their thoughts to where they could easily reach it at a later date. They both knew that something would turn up eventually.

When the sun had started to cast its morning hue on Privet Drive, the mother of Number 4 went out to fetch the paper only to give a shriek of terror at what lay on her door step. Young Harry Potter began his own wail at being awoken to the start of his new life.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Aiya! I didn't think I'd get so many awesome reviews! One more than I had hoped for too. I was up all night jittery over this and I couldn't help but write it up this morning.

To LadyQuiera: Thank you so much for being my first reviewer! Um, I hope you don't kill me with this chapter, but he will be eventually, I promise. I can't say or it would give away the plot.

To keep going!!: I love your name. It's perfect for posting reviews, yes? Hehe, thank you so much for your review. It's what got me going posting this morning.

Now, a little more on the story. As the summary says, this is post AWE, way post as in modern day. I'll be continuing where AWE left off, but one of the fabulous things about fanfiction is that you can do almost anything you want.

For those wondering about Duddly, I like Duddly. Or, my made-up Duddly. I really didn't like the JKR Duddly, so I decided to remake him. It's the parents, after all, that make a kid.

Just a note, I'm a horrible updater. I might update a few days in a row, I might not update for several months. Just go as the reviewers signing my death warrant for DoH.

Alright, now I'm rambling. Go on and read now, reviews are appreciated and give me fuel for more updates. Everyone is free to give ideas.

**Warning: Mentions of abuse.**

It Starts

Three-year-old Harry Potter lay on his makeshift bed in his cupboard under the stairs, playing with his seashell necklace, listening to his aunt and uncle quarreling over him again. Ignoring the shouts and derogatory names given to him, he focused and studied his shell as he had so many times before. It was a small thing, no bigger than his three-year-old thumb, perfectly curved inwards and pointy at the top. It's white and pink hues glowed a mysterious blue and green when the light hit it just right. There were three little holes at the bottom tip arranged in a triangle. The southern most circle, Harry found, was perfect for hanging the little shell on a small strip of cloth that he tied together to put around his neck. The shell was quite durable, Harry knew personally, for his whale of a cousin had taken it from him once and tossed it out a second story window. Dismayed, Harry had gone to fetch it, but was surprised to not see one crack in its beautiful design. Since then, Harry started hiding his treasure on his person under his overlarge shirt.

Shaken from his musings, Uncle Vernon's booming shouts rattled the cupboard, causing a small hailing of dust and wood shavings. Listening closer, his young mind decided he had better learn what this argument was about so he could avoid a lashing later. He didn't think his poor bum could take any more.

"Tell me again why we must keep the boy, Petunia! His extra mouth takes up more food than my paycheck can support!" Harry had to roll his eyes, thinking about his cousin Duddly who loved crying and bullying his parents for late night snacks.

"Because we have to! The letter specified that he must be taken care of under our roof! Something to do with family protection or what not. I know he can not fry a decent egg, but we have no chance of leaving him else where!"

Still purple in the face, Vernon Dursely sat on his couch to think. He was a business man, and like all good business men, he knew how to find a loop hole. As he thought, his toddler son came down the stairs in a hurry. Harry frowned as the hail started anew.

Duddly was excited. Summer was here. And summer meant ice cream. And ice cream meant the beach. And the beach meant a trip. He would get lots and lots of ice cream every day at the beach when he bullied his dad into a, "Daddy, when we go to trip? I want ice cream," the toddler demanded as he crossed his arms and puffed out his lower lip.

Something clicked in the purple business man's mind. "A vacation, eh," he asked slowly, a hint of something sinister in his voice if one listened closer. "Petunia dear, do you still have that shack your great aunt left you?"

Surprised, the horse-faced woman took a thinking pose, a hand going to her chin as she thought. Her great aunt loved to travel the world, especially warm, hot, muggy areas. In every place she stopped, if she liked it, she would buy a small strip of land and would commission to build a house there for whenever she returned. Before her death, she donated all but one property to the people of the area. Petunia couldn't remember where it was, but she knew that her aunt had left it to that, that, heathen of a sister of hers. Of course, with her sister's death, and her aunt not knowing about the little heathen now living, the place went to her. "Oh yes. That place. All I know about it is it's somewhere across the Atlantic. A vacation there would be nice I suppose, but I've seen pictures of the house. It's absolutely dreadful. Hasn't been lived in for ages. The wood is rotting, and shingles are falling off, and I can't tell you how many hurricanes it has survived through. The blasted thing is ready to fall apart if it hasn't already. Why do you ask," she inquired, confusion written on her face.

The husband gave a small smirk, the corners of his mustache quirking upwards. "The place is written in your name now, isn't it?"

Not understanding where this was going, Petunia answered, "Yes."

The smirk got bigger. "Therefore, the place belongs to the Dursely family, a home-away-from-home, yes?"

Petunia's eyes grew wide as the implications her husband gave presented itself in her mind. "Why yes. It is our roof, so the orders would not be dismissed," she said hurriedly, excitement starting to bubble in her voice.

Duddly just stood there, angry that the attention had been diverted from him. "I want ice cream!" His parents jumped, startled out of their glorious musings at the shout of their son.

Smiling down at his boy, Vernon got up and lifted his son into his arms. "Ice cream it is then, my boy! As a matter of fact, lets go out to eat," he suggested.

"Wonderful idea," Petunia agreed. "While you two find us a good place to eat down town, I can pop in and talk to our lawyer about the will."

Duddly grinned at the prospect of getting food and ice cream. As they started to leave, however, he remembered something. "What about Harry?" His parent's stopped cold in their tracks.

For the longest time, young Duddly knew that his mum and dad did not like Harry as much as they liked him. He didn't know why, and when he asked why his cousin got so many lashings and chores, his parents would say because he was a bad boy. But just because they didn't like him, didn't mean he didn't like him. Yes he was mean to Harry, but his young mind couldn't help remembering one Christmas where he had gotten so many toys he couldn't remember what, and Harry had gotten a lump of coal. Younger then, Duddly did not want to see the boy he lived with sad, so he decided to share some of his toys with him. He still remembers the smile on Harry's face as he handed over a Teddy Bear to him and the small giggle that was so rare come out of his voice. But, has he turned back to his own toys, his parents walked in at that moment and seeing Harry with the bear thought he had stolen it from their son. Furious, they ripped the bear our of Harry's hands. That was the day Harry had his first lashing. Duddly still remember the screams and the crying Harry did. Afterwards, Duddly tried to give the teddy to Harry again through the cupboard. Harry would have nothing to do with it. Duddly got upset and his childish mind connected the bear with the lashings. From then on, Duddly bullied his cousin, subconsciously wanting to protect him from the pain. It would be several years before he could piece together this train of thought.

"Well, I suppose he could come," Petunia started slowly. Seeing her husband start to purple in the face again, she added, "He can come with me to the lawyer. The four of us can meet up at the restaurant after we're done there."

As the purple started to fade, Vernon consented. "Very well. The boy goes with you and Duddly comes with me."

Nodding, Petunia went to the cupboard where Harry was sitting quietly, his shell stashed securely under his billowing shirt. "Well, come on then. We can't have you going to a law firm looking like that," she screeched as she pulled Harry by the wrist into the bathroom.

Once scrubbed, changed, and in the car, Harry clenched his seashell in his hands, thankful to have kept it safe. As he sat in the car seat, he began to wonder just what his aunt and uncle meant when they referred to a letter giving orders for his upbringing. As far as he knew, there was no one else that could have even written the letter, and if there were, why hadn't he ever heard of them or met them? Why would they leave him with the Durselys? He began to remember the chill that had washed over him as he listened to his relatives talk of this vacation they were about to embark on. It worried his young mind which couldn't seem to piece together just what was significant in that conversation.

The shell in his hand glowed a faint green with the passing afternoon lights through the car window. Deep within the shell, in the part that no human eye could see, markings started to form, glowing a sharp red, unnoticed by Harry, before going out and leaving behind faint forms of uncompleted script.

Deep within a dark, dank marsh, the dreadlocked woman peered into her array of seashells. Once again, a smirk adorned her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: I don't know what's up with me today. I've had fits over this thing and I've wanted to do nothing but type this thing up. And I'm already on chapter 3.

To the-dreamer4 and sugarbob: Hush! You'll give the plot away! Of course, after this chapter, it's not needed.

Just a note about Elizabeth and Bootstrap. I love Elizabeth to death, so please don't kill me over this chapter. As for Bootstrap, I could never really connect with him.

A Brief Time

Three hundred and fifty years. For three hundred and fifty years, William Turner has been captain of the most notorious ship that made the most sea weathered man tremble in their sleep: the Flying Dutchman. For three hundred and fifty years, Captain Turner has been seeing to the souls of those who had died at sea.

A little less than three hundred and thirty years since Will had seen his beautiful Pirate King, Queen as she so violently tried to encourage, though it never caught on. He could still remember, as he stared out into the foggy skies of the Locker, the day he was forced to ferry his beloved Elizabeth. It was some time in the late sixteen hundreds, he remembers, when an East Indian Trade Company fleet had ambushed her vessel, the Dutchman's Heart. He smiles and winces at the name, remembering the sly smirk on her face when he asked her what she called it. Their son, Will, named so as to keep with family tradition, or to make family tradition as Jack had said, had stood there and laughed at his father's face. The boy had been ten then. Will was twenty three when his mother died and was the one to take her place as Pirate King.

Will remembered the era of his son's reign. He smirked as he thought of the poetic irony his son had wrought upon the same fleet that had taken their precious Elizabeth. Will Junior had lured the fleet into Isla de Muerta and had abandoned ship just as the fleet tried to crowd them into the small alcove. The soldiers had gone ashore in search for the pirate crew only to find a small cave filed to the brim with treasure. In their greed, the crew took all they could get their hands on including the coins in a chest in the center of the cave. By then, with the help of Jack Sparrow and his father, Will had figured out how to transfer curses onto others, including them selves. Thinking themselves blessed with this new immortality, the fleet had gone and stormed the pirate haven where Will and the other pirate lords laid in wait. Thinking they could take more damage, the soldiers allowed themselves to be wounded. About an hour through the battle, Will Junior performed the spell needed to transfer the curse of Cortez onto himself and those of his crew. One by one the soldiers of the Company fell. Laughing, Will and his crew picked up the cursed gold and traveled back to Isla de Muerta. A few drops of blood later, they set sail for a town off of Port Royal to celebrate. Will Senior's smile fell as he remembered the earth quake that destroyed Port Royal and its surrounding area shortly after, catching his son in the mounds of falling debris and stampeding confusion. Will Junior left behind no heir, no son or daughter, let alone a woman he called his own. His second in command took over, a loyal and powerful lad, though Will Senior could not remember his name, that led and built on the foundation that Elizabeth once constructed. It was only a while ago, after all, that Chinese piracy had been whittled away enough to be called extinct.

'Times have surely changed', Will thought as he looked into the empty sea, not a lamp in sight. As ships became bigger and safer through time, Will's job seemed to only peek during a war. He did not mind as much as one would think. He had become fascinated with the new technology of the living world as he called it. Sometimes he would look at the newest vessel produced by a country's navy and fell outdated, but then he would pop the Flying Dutchman up every now and again and watch as these new ships would turn and flee in the other direction. One of his newer recruits, a sailor in a navy fleet who had fallen overboard, had told him that the captains did not like anomalies which the Dutchman showed up as on their radar. Another told him that one captain had a heart attack when he saw the Dutchman for his own eyes, yet couldn't see it on the screen. Thankfully the man had survived. Will didn't think he would have liked to have ferried the man he was responsible for killing just by sight. His crew had gotten a good laugh at his expense for that.

Heaving a sigh, Will decided it was best for a change of scenery. "Alright, we're diving. All men to stations!" He had to smile at the relieved groan his crew made at finally doing something. The small trip under the water was something Will always found thrilling. Technically dead yet still alive, he was still in wonder that he could survive just fine under water. The rare women who joined his crew would joke that they could be considered modern day merpeople. That is until they actually met a merperson. The crew got another laugh at his expense when he had his first encounter with merfolk.

With a flash of green, Will set coordinates for Tortuga. For the past century he had been docking the Dutchman there whenever they were topside. Tortuga had become a pirate tourist trap, but the locals had welcomed those of the Dutchman with open arms and tight lips. As some of the original crew, including his father at one point, had decided to pass on, the present crew consisted of mostly fresh blood with only those diehard enough to stay on. His father, though proud of him, eventually thought it was his time to move on. Will, though sad, was more than willing to see Bootstrap off. Those that stayed on and the new recruits both seemed to love docking in Tortuga. With secret smiles on their faces, they would give tale after tale to the tourists while the village locals would drink in each story told.

Once the anchor was cast and his men had started to group in the dinghies, Will ran up the bowsprit and took a leaping dive into the waters below. Surfacing, he grinned at the shouts of protest from the deck. Placing his hands on top of the water, he pushed until his feet stood securely on the waves. With a cheerful wave to his furious crew, he pushed off with a foot and glided to shore. He knew he would be getting his just desserts when he saw them next. Though he couldn't understand why they got so upset when they knew he had been capable of this for a couple centuries now, for when Calypso had deemed him a capable captain and loyal to his duty, she had lifted the curse of the land, allowing him to walk freely as he please as long as he kept to his duty which included his crew. With one of her knowing smiles, she had informed him that she had 'give 'im a few gifts' as she had put it. Will rolled his eyes as he came to the beach.

Stepping foot on land, he waved to the early fishermen locals who smiled and waved back. A young one who was carrying a bundle of rope suddenly set his burden on the ground and hurried up to Will. "Welcome back, Captain Turner. Not many to ferry I hope."

"No son. Not yet as of now any way," Will answered the lad.

A man called out for his son to hurry with the rope. Wincing, he boy hurriedly explained, "The Black Pearl be docked on the other side of the island, Captain. I believe Captain Sparrow is at the Tavern. Thought you ought to know," he finished as he scurried back to his bundle.

His face in a full grin now, Will flicked his gold hoop earring and headed for the Tavern, a local spot still dedicated to the traditional making of rum. Of course Jack would be there.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: I have so many things to do with so little time to do it in, but I just can't seem to make myself do them. So, I puttered around bringing this up.

I'm glad that most of you readers seem to like this little idea of mine. I hope I don't disappoint or weird some of you out.

To Funness: You know what? I'm excited myself to see where this thing will go. I have no idea what I'm doing, just making it up as I go along.

Ah yes, another quick note in conjunction with my post to Funness. I'm thinking that I'll be going through all seven years of Harry's time at Hogwarts. I don't know yet, though, because I don't acknowledge the sixth book. Tell me what you all think.

And please people! I get adrenalin that helps me post when I see reviews cluttering up my inbox. Only reason I know people are even reading this, aside from the three reviews for the last chapter, is that I took a look at my stats. Thank you to all who put this story in their alerts.

It Starts Again?

As it was just past day break, few tourists were out and about. As Will made his way to the Tavern to find Jack to see what scheme the man was up to now, he started having that familiar feeling of standing out. Of course, if one wore a billowing white shirt, tattered black pants, salt weathered old boots, a shinny gold hoop earring, a black bandana on their head, a sword on their hip, and a pistol on their thigh, they would stand out too. 'Of course,' Will assured himself, 'when standing next to Jack, you fit right in with the crowd.' The feeling of standing out dipped, however, as the locals waved and nodded, sending out their welcomes. Amusement creped up as some of the early bird tourists snapped photos of him, thinking him to be part of a costume crew or something. Will laughed to himself as he thought of the soon to be developed pictures. It was early on that he discovered that he couldn't be photographed. The poor tourists would think him a ghost.

Stepping into the Tavern and waving to those who greeted him, he spotted the Pearl's captain and his long time friend hunched over a pint of rum, a half done bottle next to him and several empty ones at his feet. Normally, Will got a kick out of a truly drunk Jack, but after seeing the man's set face today, he prepared himself for the worst. Signaling the bar keep, he stepped over and sat down at the chair opposite Jack.

Waiting for some sort of acknowledgement from his friend, Will studied the young looking man across from him. The Fountain of Youth had done wonders for Jack, for he didn't look a day past thirty. It had taken him a while, Will remembered, for the pirate to obtain the Fountain with a scheme that did eventually involve himself and Elizabeth who got a tad upset, the understatement of the decade, at being dragged into another adventure while being pregnant. Jack had paid dearly for it by losing his beard and mustache one night in his sleep. He'd never known that Jack's voice could make that high of pitch. Eventually, Barbossa had tracked Jack down, furious with the thieving pirate for swiping, or cutting as the case may be, the map. It had been a race to the finish with the Fountain as the prize. One wrong step, however, had old Barbossa dangling from a pit. Jack had tried to heave his mutinous first mate back up, but the old sea dog had smirked and let go of Jack's hand just as Elizabeth had reached them to help, Will himself not far behind. Will had a rather long talk with Captain Barbossa as he ferried him through the Locker that night. To celebrate and in honor of the late captain, Jack took a swig from the Fountain, passing it around his crew, most of which, including Mr. Gibbs, too took a drink. When it reached Will, he had merely chuckled and passed it on to his wife who passed it back to Jack. Her explanation was she didn't know what it would do to the baby. It was several years after Will Junior's birth that she confessed that living for as long as she pleased scared her. Will had been very understanding and supportive for he too was afraid of time, though for a different reason.

Shaken from his musing, the bar keep had come and set down a clean pint glass and a fresh bottle of his favorite rum. Nodding his thanks, he set himself for a nice, cold drink, but as he reached for the bottle, a quick hand adorned with various gold rings, trinkets, and the sleeve of a cream shirt under a tattered dark coat snatched the bottle from the table. Said hand quickly brought the bottle to the lips of the thief between layers of black dreadlocks also adorned with various trinkets. Tipping his head back, the rum sloshed to the neck of the bottle as Jack took a long drought of the amber liquid. Bemused, Will noticed idly that Jack's hat was already on the floor behind him. "This must be something big to give you a reason for snatching other people's rum, Jack."

Sitting back up right, said pirate gave his younger friend a grin, his gold teeth flashing in the low light. "Aye, bu' one does no' need a reason when a reason 'as already presented itself ta tha person needing tha reason, savvy?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Will asked, "And what reason has already presented itself?"

A sour look overcame Jack's face as he floundered about his person, "Now, 'here I be putting tha' blasted thing? Ah! Here it is!"

Will's face turned blank. "A map."

"Aye, a map."

"And where did you get said map?"

The sour look returned to the captain's face. "Well, funny story, that. There I was, min'ing my own business upon the Pearl, when this wave suddenly come out of thin air, filled to tha brim with crabs, and decides ta give me a shower. Of course, none of me crew got wet and none can say they even saw tha wave. Only thing I've got ta back me story up was tha lot of crabs now littering up my deck. Oh, and this map stuffed in a rum bottle." Will had winced and stuffed his face in his hands when he had mentioned crabs, already dreading what was to happen. Jack finally gave a smirk as he added, "Ah, yes. The lovely Calypso. I sup'ose her humorous side is bet'a than her furious one."

Groaning out an agreement, Will snatched the cloth map, unfolding it to see what was on it. "Wait. This is…"

"Aye. Not far from Tortuga. On tha same island even. Now the question be what would the lovely Tia Dalma wan' us ta find when there be nothin' to be found as everythin' 'as already been discovered," he stated as he got up and retrieved his hat.

Will stared incredulously at the captain. "You can't seriously be thinking of following it?"

Giving Will his own incredulous stare, he answered, "Aye, mate. And you be questin'ing the orders of a goddess now?"

Will frowned. "Well, no. But it seems utterly ridiculous is all." He started as Jack gave a hearty laugh.

"You kill me, mate. Truly, afta nearly four centuries, you still question these things?" He finished with a wink as he headed out the door.

Blinking, it took a few seconds before Will noticed that Jack had left him with the tab. Rolling his eyes, he dug into his pockets for a few coins. Standing up, he briefly eyed the unfinished rum before taking a long swig. Carefully setting the bottle on the table, he ran out the door after Jack.

It wasn't hard to find his pirate friend in the crowd. All he had to look for was an odd hat, a long, dark coat, and the circle of tourists that would surround him. That or the few dreaded groups of teenage girls that would sometimes follow him. Of course, his swagger was hard to miss. Will turned as he heard a shout from behind. Smiling innocently he continued to follow Jack as he waited for his first mate to catch up.

"Damn it, Will! How many times must I ask that you don't pull that little stunt of yours," his first mate exclaimed. Still smiling, the captain turned to see the face of James Norrington. James, however, did not buy it. "Oh come now. We all know your horns are in plain sight. Giving the new recruits a heart attack, I swear."

"Oh come now!" Will exclaimed back with a laugh, continuing to follow Jack. "It's not like it will kill them or anything."

"So says you," James mumbled back, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'How was it I came into service of this man? Oh yes, he offered, and I couldn't just say no?' He remembered how the former blacksmith had come to be his captain. A few nights after his death while floating about the Locker in his soul boat, the Flying Dutchman had come to ferry the souls. He still got a laugh when he remembered the look on Will's face when he saw him down on the water. Though, the amusement vanished into wonder when Will offered him a place on the Dutchman. A myriad of emotions started to bubble in his chest, including relief and gratitude. Of course his first few months on board were not pleasant. The ship was still sorting itself out, what with a new captain and all. James was just glad that Bootstrap was there to help the young Turner where he could. It was only after most of the crew and Bootstrap had left did Will promote him to first mate. He had been serving on the Dutchman loyally ever since.

Glancing to see what his captain was going towards, he spotted the familiar back of Sparrow. "And what, pray tell, is he up to now?"

"We are following a map."

Turning sharply to face Will, James asked, "We? As in you and he?"

"Yes. We as in he and I. He received a map from Tia Dalma, I'm afraid."

James gave his own wince. "Nothing of much good comes from that woman. Orders?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stay with the crew. Head off any who try to follow."

James gave a small snort. "You mean to stop the crew from having your head."

"No," Will stated seriously, startling James. "I've a bad feeling of this one. I want everyone prepared for anything."

Staring ahead at Sparrow then back at Will, he answered, "Aye, stay with the crew and prepare for anything." Will nodded before quickening his pace. "And Will," the first mate called after him. He turned around as James added, "you be careful." Will smirked and gave a two finger salute as he stalked after Sparrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: This is the longest chapter yet. Took me almost three hours just to get through it. I should really be cleaning my room and packing for my trip, but I just can't seem to move my lazy bum.

To Funness: XD I like Jack. He's so much fun to write. I love your fic, The Heir to the Pirate King, and am honored that you think so. I don't know about being better, though. We'll just have to see what happens. Enjoy the chapter.

To the-dreamer4: Is my plot really that transparent /goes off to pout/ Oh well, I'm over it. No need to worry about the heart yet; I'm still working on introducing our immortal pirates' history.

To Keira: Thank you for asking! As soon as I read your post, a little something planted itself into my brain. I've already got it written down for the next chapter or so.

A note to those who might be confused or interested. Tortuga is an actual island in Haiti in the Caribbean off the northwest coast of Hispaniola. Its main languages include French, Haitian Creole, and the occasional Spanish. I would like to thank Wikipedia for its wonderful resources. Seeing as I can not speak French, Haitian Creole, or Spanish, I shall be improvising in the future.

Usually, you are not allowed to bring food through customs, but for this fandom, I'll let it slide. And usually, it is not as easy as I make it sound to obtain a fake passport, so please, don't try it at home.

One last note for my readers who have put this story in their c2s. I like slash. If you go and read my profile, you shall see that, though I call it yaoi. I am not planning on including any slash in this fic though. Will and Jack are friends. Will and James are friends. Jack and James are…stained acquaintances. But I love the Harry/Draco coupling, FYI. Doesn't mean I'll be writing it though. I have trouble writing relationships and romance. Just remember, things change.

On that note, enjoy the chapter.

The One Left Behind

Harry was comforted by the weight of his seashell as he sat next to his aunt in a waiting room. Aunt Petunia had called the place a law form he believed. Something to do with the vacation that still sent shivers up his little spine as he thought of it. His head turned to stare again at the potted plant in the corner when a secretary called his aunt's name. Standing up, he scurried to her side as she made her way through a set of double doors.

"Ah! Hello, Mrs. Dursely. How may I be of service to you today, my dear," a short, young man in tan formal wear asked as he ushered his two customers to take a seat in front of his desk.

Petunia smiled at the man as she sat. "Hello, Mr. Beckett. I'm here today to ask about a property left to my sister."

Mr. Beckett nodded as he remembered the article. "Ah, yes. The property your aunt left Mrs. Potter. One moment please." He remembered Mrs. Potter quite well. A notch above her younger sister, he was certain. He had many a profitable dealings with Mrs. Potter, one of his more favorite clients. Shame she had do go in that car accident. Typing a few things into his computer, a few key strokes later, he had what he was looking for. "It says here in Mrs. Lilly Potter's will, that everything is to be left to young Harry Potter. As for the property you speak of, according to your aunt, if in any way, shape, or form Lilly was to somehow be unable to claim the property, you, Mrs. Dursely, was to have it put in your name." Mr. Beckett quirked an eyebrow when the woman before him went from pale to a cheery peach in the face.

Petunia, pleased somewhat, again asked, "And may I have the address of the property? My husband and I were thinking it would be a nice vacation spot this summer."

"Certainly. Let's see here. That would be Fifteen Dead Men's Lane, Tortuga, Haiti." Petunia stared. Laughing, the lawyer continued, "Yes, a ghastly name for an address, but you see, the town of Tortuga was once a lively pirate haven. That is until in 1680, a new Act of Parliament forbade sailing under foreign flags. At that time, most pirate ships in the area were under French contract. Piracy started declining shortly after."

Nodding uncertainly, Petunia busied herself finding a pad and pen in her purse. Fascinated, however, but the small story, young Harry finally spoke, "Why did the pirates go away after the rule was made?" Petunia jumped, forgetting that her nephew was even with her.

Smiling down at the young boy before him, Mr. Beckett answered, "Well, son, it was against the law for pirates to sail under another country's flag. You see, a country, like France, could hire pirates to steal from another country, like England. Parliament, not liking that, decided to make a way for them to capture and stop pirates from stealing from them. Not wanting to deal with legal stuff, most pirates settled down and piracy started to, well dwindle."

Gasping, Harry asked, "You mean the French would use pirates to steal from us?"

Mr. Beckett nodded. "Yes. At one point in time, they did."

"Why would they do that?"

He leaned closer over his desk, positioning himself as close to Harry as possible before saying in a stage whisper, "Gold, my boy. It was all about the gold." Smirking, Mr. Beckett positioned himself properly back in his seat, leaving Harry staring wide-eyed.

After a moment, Petunia interrupted, "Yes, well. Foolish pirate lore aside, I believe I have what we need. Thank you for your time, Mr. Beckett."

"Not at all, my dear," Mr. Beckett declined as he rose to see his clients out the door. "Please see my secretary for charges and what not on your way out." Petunia nodded and went up to the secretary's desk. "Harry, a quick moment of your time while your aunt deals with paperwork?" Looking towards his aunt for permission, at a wave of her hand he followed Mr. Beckett back into his open office. Then man strode purposely towards a shelf of books. Selecting a small, intricately designed chest off the middle shelf, he returned to the young boy. "Well now, why don't you open this," he asked as he handed the chest over to Harry. Curious, Harry sat on the ground. Flipping the latch and opening the lid, there lying on the wooden bottom was a single gold coin. Looking up at Mr. Beckett for answers, the man kneeled down and took the coin. As he held it up in the light, Harry could see markings of a skull and bone, surrounded by a complicated pattern of holes and crisscrossed lines. "This, Harry, is an old replica of a cursed treasure of Cortez. It was crafted in the early seventeen hundreds in real gold, melted down from treasure found on a sunken pirate craft off the coast of Tortuga. No one knows if it is an exact replica, for no one has ever found Cortez' cursed gold to compare the two."

"Wow," Harry whispered in wonder as the man placed the coin in Harry's palm.

Seeming to come to a decision, Mr. Beckett nodded to himself and said, "How would you like to keep it, Harry? Keep it safe for me, hm?"

Staring bug-eyed, Harry whispered, "Really?"

"Mmhmm. That and my chest here. I believe it would be in safe hands if you held it, yes?"

"Oh yes sir," Harry continued to whisper.

"Good lad," Mr. Beckett nodded just as Petunia came to collect her nephew.

"Come along, Harry. And what is that you have there? Give it back."

"Not to worry, ma'am, just a little something to get Harry here excited about your vacation spot," Mr. Beckett assured.

"Now really, there is no need to give a child gold."

"Fools gold, Mrs. Dursely, I assure you."

Starting to become impatient, Petunia consented. "Very well. Come along, Harry. Mustn't keep your uncle waiting."

Feeling rather betrayed, though Harry couldn't name the feeling, he turned back to face Mr. Beckett. The man winked in his direction as he turned back towards his office. Smiling, Harry hurried to catch up with his aunt.

A few days later, Harry lay in bed, holding his seashell and chest close to his person. They were going to the airport in the morning for their vacation. While his relatives each had two suitcases a piece, all of his things had been packed into a tiny backpack that he would take onboard the plane. It was bad enough, his uncle had said, they had to pay for his plane ticket, he wasn't going to pay for his luggage. Opening his chest, Harry looked at his ticket and passport. The passport had his picture on it, but his name had been changed. Having forced himself to read early on, Harry knew that his name was not spelled Michal Jaspen. That feeling of dread gripped his heart again as he looked at the name. He also knew that he wasn't a son of a friend of the family going with the Durselys, and had asked that they take him to get his passport done. The clerk was so stupid.

A short few hours later, Harry sat looking out the window in awe at the pillars of white. Flying, he concluded, was awesome. His cousin Dudley, on the other hand, didn't seem so thrilled. He'd opted to sit next to Harry instead of next to the window as his ticket originally stated. He played with the gold coin Harry had come home with when they had gone out to lunch. Harry didn't mind so long as he gave it back. An act he had every intention of doing. He couldn't understand it at his age, but later he would remember the light shining in his cousin's eyes as he explained what the coin was. For now, playing with the coin seemed to calm his nerves and kept his breakfast from fleeing his stomach.

Arriving in the major airport of Tortuga, the Dursleys and Harry were welcomed at the international gate. "Welcome to Tortuga, Mr., Mr., and Mrs. Dursley. Welcome to Tortuga Mr. Jaspen. I hope your stay is most rewarding."

"That it will be, my good sir. That it will be," Vernon thanked the man with a smirk. With his shell around his neck and his treasure safely stored in its chest and pack, Harry followed his relatives to the luggage claim.

Once everyone had their things stored and were crammed into the rental car, they set off to find the property. After getting lost, Petunia finally screeched her husband into submission and had him pull over at a gas pump for directions. After the clerk couldn't understand a word he was saying, Vernon opted to buy a map.

With Petunia navigating and Vernon following orders, they came upon a deep crevice; the ocean waves an angry white below. An old rope bridge connected the main island with the smaller one on the other side. A signpost at the cliff was marked 1-14 Dead Men's Drive with an arrow pointing to the left, 16-25 Dead Men's Road with an arrow pointing to the right, and 15 Dead Men's Lane with an arrow pointing straight up.

Gulping, Vernon ordered everyone out. "Well, I suppose owning your own island is something, yes," he tried to joke, but at the glare his wife sent him, he turned back to the task at hand: to cross the bridge.

Crossing his heart and saying a silent prayer, Vernon put a foot on the first plank. It gave a creek in protest to his heavy weight, but it held. Gaining confidence, he continued to put one foot after the other. His family and nephew slowly followed after him.

Dudley, near tears, would have run the rest of the way if his father's bulk hadn't taken up the width of the small bridge. He almost jumped into the water when he felt a hand grip his own pudgy one. He looked over to see his cousin, almost as white as the waves below his feet. Facing forward again, he tightened his own grip on the small hand.

Once safely on land again, the group was able to look around. White sand surrounded the small, slanted island, no bigger than a school campus. Tall trees stood in a miniature forest with an overgrown path just visible from where they stood. The waves rolled gently on the beach where the island leveled off below the rocky cliff they stood on.

Wanting to be done with this place, Vernon ventured forward. "Well? Shall we then?" Gaining various looks of uncertainty, he turned and headed for the path.

Petunia grabbed the two boy's hands and followed. "I'm beginning to think this a bad idea, Vernon. This place is more isolated than I thought. No one would survive a day out here alone."

Vernon shook off his wife's worry. "Nonsense. You saw how friendly the people are here. I'm sure someone will be by," he rationalized as he continued forward. With a huff, Petunia continued to follow.

As they came to near the other side of the island, a small hut could be seen at the barrier were the trees stopped and the sand began. "There's the house from the pictures," she pointed out. The group ventured over to look.

Vernon stepped up the rotted steps, surprised they held, and reached for the handle of the front door. The knob gave way as he twisted; a thud was heard on the other side. Nervous, he cautiously poked the door with a beefy finger. The door swung inwards, giving an ominous groan as though protesting the movement. Gulping he stepped into the hut. "Well, Harry. What do you think?"

Harry instantly paid attention to his uncle. He rarely called him by his name. It was usually some form of boy, whelp, or something Aunt Petunia would cover Dudley's ears for. Glancing around, Harry saw that there wasn't much to the place. They were obviously standing in the main room, a small kitchen area straight ahead, and a small bedroom off to the side. If one looked through the kitchen, one would see something of a bathroom connected to the kitchen. There was no furniture other than a moth eaten bed that could be seen in the open bedroom door. The windows were fogged with dirt, the wooden floors and walls were grey with age, spider webs cluttered every corner, and if the kitchen sink were any indication, the plumbing was rusted. At least it had plumbing. Not wanting to anger his uncle, he answered, "It's very nice, Uncle Vernon."

Not wanting to waste anymore time, the man nodded. "Excellent. How about you stay here then while the rest of us go and collect our bags, hm," he stated as he headed out the door and for the path.

Surprised at not being told to collect the bags himself, he said, "Yes, Uncle Vernon." Petunia gave him a long hard look before taking Dudley by the hand. Dudley continued to look back at his cousin as he was pulled out the door. In a panic, Harry hurriedly took off his pack and dug out his coin. Rushing to Dudley, he silently placed the coin in his cousin's hand, the pudgy fingers gripping his small ones. Silently, Harry convinced Dudley to let go, the coin now in Dudley's possession. Petunia, not knowing of what was happening behind her, continued to pull her son towards the bridge. Harry hung to the door frame as he watched.

As they drove off, Dudley Dursley continued to look back at the island his cousin was now on. For some reason, he was now glad he had convinced Harry to hide the small amounts of food in his pack. Looking at the coin in his hand, he committed where they were to his young memory, unconsciously praying that he would not forget as his mind developed over the years. He dug into his own carry-on and found a leather shoe strap without the plastic ends to it. Stringing an end through a small hole at the top of the skull in the coin, he tied the two ends together, and placed it over his head. He decided to hide it in his shirt as he had seen his cousin do with his shell. Gripping it through his shirt, he connected all thoughts of his cousin to it so he would never forget his cousin, so that he would never forget Harry Potter.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Muwahahaha! Yet another chapter up and going.

To Funness: Glad you liked my little play on titles there. I originally had another number in mind, but after thinking, the number fifteen just seemed to fit, you know? Thanks for the offer, but I've been brain storming, and I think I've found a way around the language thing. If I do need any help, though, I now know who to ask. ;)

To the-dreamer4: Hehe! No worries. Speculate all you like. It helps me see if there are any holes in my story, like with Barbossa as you mentioned. I smell a rewrite coming on, or a one-shot. Yes, Will only ferries those that die at sea, I think. I imagined the pit being several feet above sea level to where you can hear but not see the waves below.

To Fire Dolphin: You know, you just gave me a great idea: starting a c2 with nothing but HP/PotC fics. Trust me, there are not that many out there and those I have found haven't been updated since 2006. But sure, I'll try and keep ya posted.

To Keira: This chapter is dedicated to you, hun.

Enjoy the chapter everyone.

Is This the Right Way?

Oh how the navy loathed him. No merchant ship or stockade was safe from the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. Oh yes, the British navy had, of course, tried to capture him, and the American fleets had tried to bribe, capture, and all other forms of trickery to do the same, but each new captain or commodore who tried to pursue the Black Pearl were left shaking their heads as they watched the black-sailed ship move further out into the distance. A ghost ship, seasoned sailors would say, with a ghost captain that never aged. Captain Jack had given many a sailor heart attacks and smirks at the sight of him. Most wrote him off as a myth or copycat. Others shivered in their boots at the thought of a ghost captain of an old ship faster than any modern vessel. Jack had kissed Calypso's feet after she had blessed his Pearl.

The pirates of the age, of course, and only those who believed in the tales would seek out the captain of the Pearl for various reasons. Information was the most common. Maps, books, compasses, keys, you name it, Jack had it. A mighty fine collection, he would say, considering he'd been in the pirate gig for about four hundred years. Other modern pirates would laugh at the tales of Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl and his mate Captain William Turner of the ghastly Flying Dutchmen, for Jack had a way of wrapping Will around his finger when he was on about some new treasure or what not. These pirates who laughed would seek out rumors of the two captains, laying in wait for them to show, and then ambush then when they thought they'd least expect it. Of course, Will was an ex highly seasoned blacksmith who made swords for a living, and fought pirates on a daily basis, and Jack was a pirate who fought pirates on a daily basis. When one added on nearly four hundred years of experience, well, those of the unbelivers never lasted long. Will was proud to say he was an excellent shot after a few centuries practice. James would say he still couldn't hit the broad side of a barn before diving below deck to avoid a bullet.

Of course, Will was not as good it seemed as James when avoiding bullets. He didn't mind being wrapped around Jack's finger. An eternity was a long time if one didn't keep themselves active, though he often wondered why he never started growing barnacles with all of the side trips and adventures he would make with Jack. Calypso had more fun watching the two he supposed. And so, yet again, Will found him self facing down the barrel of yet another of Jack's adventure rifles. 'Why couldn't I just duck and cover,' he pondered to himself as he followed his friend into a small stall, various vehicles surrounding the place.

"And there I be, surrounded by various creatures of the dark. How was I to scrape out of this one, says I when…"

"Ah! Mr. Gibbs! There you are," Jack interrupted his first mate, telling yet another tale to the clerk. "Have ya come inta possession of our mode of transport yet?"

"Transport?"

Jack's gait increased as he took on a hysterical tone, "Aye, transport. Did I no' express exactably and unequivocally to claim our mode of transport? Or is this 'ere not a vehicle rental facility?"

Looking sheepish, Gibbs answered, "Aye, ye did."

"T'en why hav'nt ya…"

Tuning out the quarreling captain and mate, Will slid behind Jack and up to the counter. "'Morning, Miss Margret. Have you our usual available?"

Smiling and tearing her amused eyes away from the spectacle, she turned to face Will. "That we do, Captain Turner. When me ears heard tha' tha Pearl was docked, I knew to expect tha both of yas sooner or later. Will you be driving again I hope?"

Glancing back at his friend who was still tearing into Gibbs, he suppressed a smirk and answered, "Aye."

Nodding in agreement, Margret turned and opened a lock box. Taking a key out, she turned and handed it to Will. "Your usual is out back. Enjoy your trip, Captain."

Giving a gracious nod of the head, Will turned on his heel and stalked up behind Jack. Grabbing an ear on the dreadlocked head and ignoring the sudden shriek of indignation, he continued out of the stall and around to the back. "Come on then, Jackie. Do we have a something to find or do we not," he ribbed as he let go.

Jack grumbled as he rubbed his abused ear. "Oh yes. Tha lovely shrill geisha calls me Jackie once, an' he ne'er lets me live it down. Oi! And why do ya 'ave the keys," he exclaimed with his hands on his hips.

"Because, my friend, you've had too much rum," Jack looked as though Will had said a particularly nasty swear word, "and we've been rented this car with no form of insurance, only our good word as our contract. Last thing Miss Margret needs is yet another totaled jeep to add to her list," he explained as he jumped into the driver's seat and buckled. Giving a half smile and shrug in acknowledgment, Jack clambered into the front passenger seat.

With their possessions in the back and Gibbs seeing them off, Will carefully turned onto the main highway towards where the map marked, ignoring Jack's directions. After a few decades, one gains the ability to read and memorize the basics of a map at a glance. With Jack directing, one tended to find themselves in Alaska as they did one summer when Jack insisted on leading them on a hunt for the sword of the Knight of Arabia.

Again, modern technology fascinated Will and it did not stop at boats. He found roadways and cars much more efficient than walking these days. They had been using the same rental station for the past several decades, paying in gold after each trip. After trying out several of the modern models, however, Will's favorite would always be the open jeep. Jack would never say it, but he agreed with his fellow captain, not liking the feel of being boxed-in one got from other cars compared to the vast expanse of the open sea.

Eventually deciding to just relax and enjoy the ride, Jack propped his feet upon the dash and tipped his hat down, trusting Will to get them where they needed to go. Every so often he would open the map and hold it up for Will to see. Once the quiet got to him enough, he ventured to start a conversation when they were close to their destination. "Any guesses as to wha' our dear goddess may wan' us ta find?"

Shrugging, Will answered, "As long as we keep a sharp eye out for something related to the number fifteen, I'm sure we'll find it."

"That may be, but one mus' keep in min' what fifteen could mean. Are we lookin' 'or fifteen different items, fifteen different places, or fifteen different peoples? Not more dead people I 'ope not."

Will rolled his eyes. "Bad one, mate."

Jack grinned, flashing his fake teeth in the midmorning sun as he tipped his hat back into place and sat up. "I'm Cap'ain Jack Sparrow, mate. I ne'er make a bad joke." Will laughed as he stopped in front of a cliff. Two sets of eyes became fixed on the address on the post in front of them, Will's laughter dieing swiftly. "Fifteen Dead Men's Lane. Now that not funny," Jack commented somberly, a bit of his good humor leaving him as he looked at the rickety rope bridge leading to the island out in front of them. Snatching the map from the dash where he'd left it, he looked at it to see if they had gotten their coordinates right. Seeing the trail lead off of where the cliff would be and into the sea, but seeing no island on the map, only a black number fifteen where the island would be, he voiced again, "That really no' funny."

Giving the bridge a questionable glance, Will snatched the map from loose fingers. Giving it another glance over, he steeled himself. "Well, I suppose there's no other choice," he said as he unbuckled and got out, making sure to pocket the car key.

Jack watched as he made his way up to the bridge and started to inspect the rope. Jack suddenly stood in his seat and vaulted over the windshield and hood before making his way on over. Giving Will a few more seconds of inspection, he said, "Well, go on then. Immortals first." Rolling his eyes once again, Will set a cautious foot on the first plank. Relieved as it held, he put out his next foot.

After about ten planks, he looked behind to find Jack still on land. "You coming?"

"Oh, I though' I just wait 'ere mate. I see there being no need for two people ta go when one would be jus' fine as one could be killed if on' false step was to be made."

Turning fully around exasperated, Will answered, "Get your sorry bum over here before I come over there and do it for you."

Pulling himself up to his full height, he said with as much dignity as one could, "Fine. No need ta get yo'r panties in a bunch. Ya do wear panties, right," he finished with a cock of his head.

Feeling ready to pummel something, "Just get over here."

"Right, right. On me way," Jack assured. Stepping cautiously up to the first plank, he set one toe on it and instantly jumped back as though bitten. Hearing a chuckle from his companion, and after sending a weak glare his way, he set a solid foot onto the plank. Slowly, he made his way up to Will who turned and continued on.

About half way across the bridge, Jack had gotten used to the odd creeks and dips it made, feeling completely at ease. "Why be so 'fraid of this thing, hu mate? This old thing could 'old up an elephant," he declared as he started to jump to prove his point.

Gripping onto the rope railing, Will prepared to send a glare towards his friend when an ominous crack was heard. Jack instantly stopped jumping. A snap sounded in the air, sounding like a gun shot to the two pirate captains. Looking towards the sound, color left their face as they saw the ropes securing the main island side of the bridge slowly unraveling. Locking eyes, Will said the first thing that came to mind, "Run!" Together, they dashed for the end, but it seemed as though it was what the bridge had been waiting for as the ropes began unraveling faster. They had taken no more than two steps when they heard a particularly large series of cracks, each followed by a splash. Stopping again, they looked back to find the wooden planks breaking in two due to the pressure put on them by the rope. Jack pushed past Will as they both tried to reach solid land, but not even three steps later they felt the bridge give a lurch. Falling, they scrambled to get back on their feet, but not five steps later did they feel the bridge give way, the planks under them suddenly not there. Again falling, they madly searched to grab hold of a piece of rope. Will managed to get his hands on one of the former railings while Jack managed to grab onto Will. Swiftly, they swung towards the rocky alcove. "Brace yourself!" Yelling together, the two gave a mighty 'oof' and a groan as they collided into the rock. "Lovely! You just had to go and jump like a drunken monkey, didn't you Jack!"

Said accused pirate looked up from Will's waist, a scowl on his face. "I do no' jump like a drunken monkey! Go ask Jack wha' a drunken monkey be like," he suggested as they dangled.

Panting from the strain of keeping himself and Jack from falling, "I would, but we seem to be about five hundred feet above sea level! And for god's sake, Jack, grab your own bit of rope and have mercy on my ribs!"

Nodding, Jack let go with one hand and grabbed a dangling rope. Hearing his companion heave a sigh in relief, he smirked and ribbed, "Fer an immortal, ya sure do complain a lo'." He was rewarded with a sore torso thanks in part to a foot planting itself firmly into it. Swinging a bit and catching his breath, he raised his own foot, ready to give back, only to find Will almost to the top already. "Oi! Wait fer me!" Reaching the top, he saw Will bent over next to the trees panting. "Ya know, why didn' you jus'…" he trailed off.

Standing and turning to face him, Will asked, "Just what?"

Sitting, Jack gestured with his hands towards the water. "You know, your water trick thingymabob." Will stared at him before turning and lightly banging his head on the tree closest to him, Jack's laughter echoing through the small island.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: I'm sick. My dad works in a hospital and brought home some bug or other. Can hardly keep my eyes focused on the screen, but I felt better tonight after only two doses of antibiotics and decided to write this up though I'll post it in the morning. Therefore, any holes one may find in my last chapter and this one I blame on the flu.

To Mike: Trust me, I understand your concerns. But believe me, I have no intention of adding yaoi unless I find an ample place to do so. If I do decide to add yaoi, it won't be a snap of the fingers sort of moment which absolutely kills any sort of plot a writer may come up with. Instead I would build on the boys' friendship first then direct it further. But, that is only if I decide to add yaoi. I'm hoping to avoid romance all together, but that is nearly impossible when dealing with these two universes.

To Shivera: Singular: relating to a word form denoting one; outstanding or superior; queer. Don't you just love electronic dictionaries? Thank you for the compliment, for I find that one is boring if one is not queer, like Jack. ;)

To Funness: Doi! Sorry about the accent. I guess I went a little overboard. I write out Jack's line in normal format then go over them again. I blame it on the flu. I hope this chapter is better. I tried to lay off changing as much, but still keeping the accent in character. As for the timeframe, I'm basing it off of information in my pirate book I got for Christmas. Nifty little thing, though the book itself is not all that little. It gives a timeline on a few key events, one of which being Port Royal being destroyed in an earthquake in 1692. I figure since Port Royal was still standing in the movies after Barbossa's attack in the first movie, at least I think it still was, that the time of the movies was before the earthquake. I just added about 25 years more to compensate for Will Junior. If I'm wrong, let me know; I already have to go back and change chapter one, but I don't know if I'll lose my precious reviews if I do. Anywho, enjoy the chapter.

To the-dreamer4: You are evil, you know that? Though in a good kind of way. Do you know how many plot bunnies for one-shots are swimming through me head? You just had to add another one, didn't you? Hehe, enjoy the chapter.

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse.**

Saved

He sat in a corner of the hut, listening to the waves as they rolled in with the tides. A small littering of wrappers and fruit skins around his feet, three empty bottles of water and a closed fourth half empty accompanying them. 'This isn't so bad,' young Harry thought. 'At least I don't have to listen to Aunt Petunia's screeching, and Uncle Vernon won't be able to lash me anymore.'

It had been a total of seven days, a full week since he had been abandoned on the island, though he had lost track of time after the third day. With no one to talk to, Harry had explored the island, though not daring to cross the bridge any time soon. On the fourth day, just as his supply of food he had brought on the trip had run out the day before, a strange monkey in a red vest had suddenly appeared at the door of the hut, carrying a bunch of bananas that it had set at his feet. Not sure what to do least the monkey decide to attack him, he simply stared straight back at the animal that looked at him expectantly as though it wanted him to do something. As though fed up with waiting, the monkey picked a ripe banana from the bunch and pealed it clean from its skin. Tearing off a piece of the soft flesh of the fruit and popping it into its mouth as though assuring the young boy that it was safe to eat, it handed the rest of it to Harry. Having not had anything to eat in almost twenty-four hours, Harry slowly took the fruit from the monkey. Looking at it as though cautious of there being anything wrong with it besides the small bruise in the middle, he ventured in taking a small bite. Once certain that there was nothing wrong with it, Harry vigorously devoured the rest of the banana. Smiling so as its fangs showed, the monkey pealed off a banana leaf from the bunch and set to pealing more bananas for the human in front of him, setting the freshly pealed fruit on the leaf.

Once Harry had his fill, he smiled at the monkey in thanks who chattered as though in a reprimand for not eating before it had gotten there. Each day after, the monkey would return with a different fruit for Harry to eat. On the sixth day, Harry tried his first coconut. Not knowing how to open the thing, the monkey ventured into the small forest and returned with a sharp rock which it set firmly between its feet before smashing the nut into it, creating a crack small enough for it to take a drink from its milk. Harry mimicked the action, relishing in the taste of something other than bottled water. The meat of the nut wasn't too bad either, he decided when he had cracked it open all the way.

Tired, he settled into his corner of the hut, waiting for his uncle to come as he watched the monkey jump out of sight. It always disappeared before dark. Dirty, dehydrated, though not hungry, Harry scratched at the various bug bites on his body, idly wondering where the monkey went every night before shutting his eyes to try and get some sleep, something that didn't come easy to him in this strange place. He unconsciously clutched at his shell as he slept, unaware of it glowing red again in the dark and the script forming the rest of its message.

Harry was awoken from his sorely needed sleep the next morning to a loud form of hysterical yelling. Scared, he squeezed his eyes shut and huddled further into the corner, hiding his body in his oversized shirt with his eyes sticking out of the neck hole. A moment later, loud, rambunctious laughing could be heard through the island, though it sounded as though it came from one man, not two as the yells had been. Scared that the one laughing had hurt the second one and was coming for him next, his body started quivering, energy starting to form in the pit of his stomach and seeming to cast itself over his body.

Recovering from their little adventure over the bridge, Jack got his laughter under control and went to stop his friend from giving himself a concussion. "Really now, mate. No need ta dent your head more than it already is over somethin' so silly."

Consenting, Will turned determinedly around and stalked to the edge they had just climbed up. Just as he was about to step over the edge of the cliff, he vanished into water and vapor. If one had been on the other side on the main island, one would see a small puddle form before, in a display of white water and vapor, reforming itself into the captain of the Flying Dutchman. Repeating the process, Will reappeared next to Jack. "How many years now have I been able to do that? How many? And suddenly, I forget as I dangle on a rope over a cliff with a pirate attached to my hip," he vented, ignoring his mate's snickering in the background. Still grumbling to himself, he started towards a path he saw in the small forest of trees, Jack scrambling after him.

Cautiously so as to not get kicked in the gut again, Jack ventured to ask, "So, wha' do ya want to do, stick together or split up?"

Having not completely calmed down, Will's answer still held some bite to it, "I believe splitting up would cover the island better. The fast we find what we came for, the faster we can leave." Still smirking at his companion, Jack went off towards a roof in the distance while Will headed down towards the beach.

Looking around the area, Jack noticed various foot prints in the sand. He shuddered at the thought of the man responsible for the deep, wide prints still visible in the sand. It was hard to tell how long they had been there, not knowing the man's exact weight though it must have been large. The woman's foot prints, on the other hand, were perfect in helping to determine that at least she had been here but a week prior. A small set of prints next to hers showed that she had a child, though the child must have been overweight as well. A family perhaps had been by. The last set of prints, however, could be seen just about everywhere, the same size as a young toddler and accompanied by monkey tracks. After running after Jack the monkey for so many years, one started recognizing the little undead heathen's foot prints. Worriedly, Jack noticed that the small human prints would lead towards the hut, but not back towards the now sea laden bridge. A bad feeling in his gut, though sensing no danger, he started over towards the front door.

Cautiously stepping up the steps, Jack took off his hat that had miraculously survived the fall and stuck his head in. The familiar smell of faint body odor and rotting fruit hit his nose. Not something he considered disgusting, he lived on a ship after all, he slowly opened the door. "'Ello? Any body 'ere?" he softly called out. He took stock of the wrappers on the floor mixed with the various fruit peels and empty water bottles, the kitchen in front of him, and bedroom to the side. Venturing into the bedroom, he wrinkled his nose at the bed and mattress, deeming it not even fit for a sea faring pirate. Seeing a door leading into what he thought the bathroom, he entered only to find a toilet, sink, and shower stall in close quarters with another door to his left. Opening it, he found himself in the kitchen area. Cabinets rotting at the bottoms with their doors lying on their hinges, a small sink, stove, and oven were seen and a door leading out onto the beach next to a window was all he could find. He could see Will scouring the beach through the window. Knowing he had missed something, he returned to the main room. Examining the ceiling, he noted that the cobwebs did not look disturbed in the least, yet looking at the floor, he could easily see where one had previously been, though the myriad of wrappers and fruit peals made him lose the trail.

Ready to head back, his eyes cast one more search of the floor. He did a double take as he spotted a gray lump in the corner, surprised he had missed it, the top of it sporting something black and fuzzy. Examining it closer, he noticed that the lump was shivering. Putting his hat back on, Jack carefully stepped around the garbage and up to the lump. Kneeling, he examined the shaking lump, barely making out a pair of arms wrapped around what he supposed where knees. As though knowing the pirate captain was in front of it, the child slowly poked his head out, though Jack couldn't tell yet if it was a boy or a girl. The friendly grin he had planted on his face so as to not scare the child quickly vanished as the child's full face came into view. Taking in the dirty, matted hair, the heavy, black bags under the eyes, pinched cheeks, and dry, cracked, and bleeding lips, a sign of lack of water, Jack silently gapped as the child stared right back at him, fright easily seen in its eyes.

Coming to his senses, he quickly scanned the rest of the child. Open sores could be seen in the gap of the gray shirt the child wore. 'Proba'ly from scratching at bites,' his mind concluded. Putting on another smile, he slowly took off his jacket, revealing his cream shirt and various amulets and bangles around his neck. "'Ello there, young'n. My name is Cap'ain Jack Sparrow. I've go' a friend outside named Cap'ain Will Turner. We're going ta take ya to see a doctor now, ok love? Do you understand me?" he spoke quietly and slowly. At a shaky nod, Jack's grin grew wider, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That a mate. I'm go'na put me jacket around you, lift ya up and then carry ya to our car, alright?" Receiving a stronger nod, Jack settled his heavy coat around the child's shoulders and lifted it into the crook of his elbow. He was surprised when the child put his hands around his neck for better support.

Harry had no idea what was going on. He had silently watched as the weird looking man had stepped into the hut and went from room to room. Not wanting to be found, he had ignored the man's initial call. When Harry saw the man head for the door, something within him relaxed, but when he did, the man seemed to suddenly take notice of him. Feeling a presence close to his person, Harry lifted his head, deciding to face what he knew was in front of him. The man, after a while, smiled down at him, an act that caught Harry by surprise for no one had smiled at him before save his next door neighbor, Mrs. Figg. Understanding that this Captain Sparrow and his friend Captain Turner were going to take him to a doctor, Harry's trust in the man with the friendly smile grew. Exiting the house in the captain's arms, Harry wound his arms around the man's neck so as to keep himself from falling. Feeling the captain tense, Harry almost recoiled, fearing he had done something wrong, when the man chuckled and rubbed his back with his free hand. Not used to having others touch him on his back except for his uncle when he got particularly violent in his lashings, he stiffened then slowly relaxed, finding the motion soothing. His mind dulled by the comforting warmth of the coat and the soothing motions of the captain's hand, Harry dozed on Jack's shoulder, vaguely hearing him call out to his friend.

"Will. William! Mate. Over here," Jack tried to call out as softly as he could to catch Will's attention and not spook the child now sleeping in his grasp. Seeing Will turning to face him, Jack lightly motioned with his head to follow, already noticing the incredulous look on his friend's face.

Will caught up to them at the entrance of the path saying, "What the bloody hell…," only to be cut off by a soft shushing from Jack.

"Sorry mate, it's asleep. I'd like ta keep it tha' way for our journey over tha nonexistent bridge, savvy?"

Will nodded in understanding, "It?"

"Can' tell if the kid's a lad or a lass. Didn't think it a good idea ta check and I didn' wan' to push the young'n too much." Will was grateful that Jack had the mind to take such precautions. As one who ferried dead souls, Will had several past encounters with dead children lost at sea. He learned early on that if you didn't treat them with caution, they were likely to become hysterical in a strange environment. Many times he had taken several hours to several days to help the children he encountered.

Making their way back to the cliff, after checking to see if the child was still dozing enough to not notice, Will placed a hand on Jack's free shoulder, and in a splash of water and vapor, the two captains and child reappeared on the other side. Will rushed and opened the passenger side door, closing it after Jack had carefully climbed in. Vaulting over the hood, Will climbed over the driver side door and started the engine. He cautiously made his way back to town, though a good fifteen miles over the limit, heading for the nearest hospital.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: -Her jaw drops as she sees a total of 13 reviews littering up her inbox.- That's almost as much as the first and second chapters combined! –A happy tear makes its way down her face, but she catches it before flicking it off with a finger.- You guys have no idea how happy you've all made me! Thank you so much!

To Funness: I think you're right about the timeframe. I was on Wikipedia, just going over the cast list for ideas for crew members, when I saw a link for a timeline. Apparently, viewers can't really give an accurate date as to when the movies happened, but most evidence points to the 17 and 18 hundreds. –shrug- I'm just gunna stick with what I've got. Fandom gives me the right, right?

To the-dreamer4: You know, misting doesn't sound too bad. –Makes a note in her documents.- Love your ideas, by the way. Can't wait to see more. Enjoy the chapter.

To all readers: About my daily updating, please don't expect it to last. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, my updating habits vary. I may update a few days at a time to a few weeks or months at a time. I thank you all, though, for your constant support and love for my story. I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter.

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse**

Warmth

Taking a bite of her crab, second mate Anamaria of the Black Pearl continued her story to first mate James Norrington of the Flying Dutchman who too ate from his own crab. Though dead and not in need of nourishment, he still loved the sweet taste. "It twas the strangest thing. I turn me self around at the sound of the waves to see the Cap'ain soaked to 'is johns and with large crabby bangles tha' I was sure wasn't there before. And with the Cap'ain, one never knows. If these here crabs hadn't been on deck, I would have thought Jack be hallucinating again," she concluded as she leaned on a wooden railing, a crab leg hanging loosely from her hands.

Shaking his head, James cracked at the exoskeleton of his crab. Revealing a large chunk of meat, he bit and chewed in thought as he leaned with his back on the same railing. "Did he say what was in the bottle," he eventually asked.

"Aye. He said it was a map and that we were to head for Tortuga."

"Did he say who the map was from?"

Bewildered, Anamaria asked, "Who it was from? How could a bottle in a wave be…" She trailed off as the implications sunk in. "Oh good lordy. Tia up to her tricks again?" With a nod of confirmation from her companion, she went off. "I know she been quiet as of late, but does tha' woman have to stick her nose in everyt'in' of those two, goddess or no," she asked referring to her captain and Will.

"It would appear so," James answered. "You know how those two can get when they are in the thick of things. Why, if I were in Calypso's shoes, I'd do the same." His companion snorted in agreement, thinking of the various escapades of the two captains. "This last one, however, I think will change a few things. Did Sparrow seem, I don't know, different to you on your way here?"

Chewing on a bit of crab skin, Anamaria thought. "Well, he was rather quiet on tha way over. He seemed to wan' ta get here as fast as he could. He even avoided tha rum cellar, though he did go directly to the Tavern almos' as soon as we cast anchor." James nodded in understanding.

The two delved into companionable silence, each chewing on their crabs, both lost in thought as to what their respective captain had gotten him self into this time. The silence was broken when a jeep came speeding down the road next to them, making a sharp yet careful turn at the end of the road, causing a large group of tourists to screech in surprise. Both pirates had their heads turned in the direction of the fleeing vehicle. "James, was that…"

"Uuhuu."

"And was that…"

"Yes."

"And did I see a…"

"A child in Jack's lap wearing his coat?"

"So I wasn't the one hallucinating this time?"

"Apparently we both were," he concluded. Grabbing one of her arms he said, "Come on," as he dropped his crab and dashed into an alley, intent on using a short cut to try and catch up to the jeep, Anamaria following close behind once he had let go. James' ponytail flew behind him as he jumped fences and dodged tourists. Anamaria followed in his wake, a hand on her head to keep her hat from flying off. The locals had enough sense of mind to get out of their way. They ran, catching sight of the jeep on occasion, enough to get a good idea of where they were headed. Abandoning the main road all together, they headed straight for the hospital.

"Doctor Casy, line one. Doctor Casy, line one," sounded over the loudspeaker outside the small room Will was in, sitting vigil over the young boy Jack had found. It had been several hours since they had arrived at the hospital. The boy, as the doctors declared him, had awoken from his slumber on Jack's shoulder as he was transferred to a gurney just as the doctors and nurses seemed to swarm around him. He had started flailing in a panic, not even Jack's assurance over the chatter of the doctors could calm him. Starting to panic a little himself, Will had reached for the child's hand. Surprisingly, he calmed down. When the doctors started insisting he needed to stay in the waiting room, he had let go only to have the child go into another fit.

The doctors were amazed when the boy was still flailing under the strongest dose of tranquilizer deemed safe to use on his small, malnourished body. Knowing they were not going to be able to help the panicked child, they had called in the young man that seemed to be able to calm him.

Will had watched as they inserted an IV into the boy's elbow, the sleeve rolled up in haste, and stripped him of his clothes, using a pair of scissors to cut the sleeve off the arm with the IV. The doctors decided to leave the seashell necklace around the boy's neck as he would fidget if they started touching it. They boy's body had been a mess. Ribs could easily be seen even as the skin stretched taunt over the chest as it rose and fell with each breath. Discoloration could be seen, leading doctors to again write him off as dehydrated. The nails on the hands and feet were gray, cracked, and flakey showing he hadn't had a proper calcium intake in quite a while. Will was almost scared to hold the small, boney hand in his own. The worst had been when the doctors decided to examine his back. There they found a small series of crisscrossing scars, sizing on average about three inches in length, as though from a belt, that reached from his shoulder blades to the small of his back. Smaller, almost transparent marks marred his buttocks. Will had seen red.

Now he sat, keeping watch over the sleeping young boy, his small hand within his own. The boy's wounds had been treated, each now covered in bandages, his hair and face had been washed by a nurse after the doctors were done, and his nails had been trimmed and cleaned. The seashell lay on his chest adorning his neck. Looking at him now, if not for the still dark bags under his eyes and the slight pinch at the cheeks, Will could almost mistake him for a regular boy.

But he knew that the toddler was not ordinary by any means. Jack and him self had been sent there on purpose. They had been sent to that island to find this boy. They had been sent there by Tia Dalma, by Calypso herself, and the goddess had some sort of interest in this boy. What that interest was, Will prayed to the other gods that the boy would come out sane in the end if he ever did after this ordeal.

Will was pulled from his thoughts as the child's doctor came into the room. "Hello, Captain Turner. I'm Dr. Casy and I'll be the boy's primary until we can sort out where he belongs," the man introduced himself, holding out a hand to shake the pirate's own free one.

Nodding in acknowledgment, Will asked, "What can you tell me so far, doctor?"

Looking at his charts, the doctor answered, "Well, the boy is two feet, ten inches, about fifty pounds, and we think he is about two years old considering Captain Sparrow said he could understand what he was saying. He had various mosquito and other bug bites, we're checking his blood now down in the lab, all bites were infected, probably from scratching, running a fever of one'oh'five though it is going down now, he was, of course, dehydrated, yet he wasn't starved. We have no idea who he is, where he's from, or where those scars came to be. I put a call into children's social services who said they'd send an agent in the morning. For now, the boy seems to be recovering alright, but we'll know more in the morning."

Will nodded his understanding. Glancing at the clock, he was shocked at the time. They had arrived before noon and it was already going on six' o'clock. "Is it alright if I switch with Jack? I think he'd agree with me that we wouldn't want to leave the lad alone." Despite wanting to stay with the boy, he still had a job to do.

Nodding his head, Dr. Casy said, "Alright, usually we don't allow those not related to patients in, but I'm sure the hospital head will make an exception." Grateful, Will started to gently take his hand off of the child's.

He was warm. He was warm and safe, though where he was seemed a bit bumpy. It didn't matter to young Harry though as he basked in the warmth surrounding his body in the arms of the strange man with the friendly smile. When that warmth left, he started to panic. Opening his eyes, a myriad of strange people swam in his view, mixing like the clothes in Aunt Petunia's dryer, saying something his young ears couldn't understand, and the warmth was gone. The warmth was gone. The man with the friendly smile was gone. He was alone again. Harry didn't want to be alone again. Panicking, he blindly searched for the missing warmth and the smile of the strange man. Suddenly, someone took his hand. Warmth had returned, though of a different kind. Where the strange man with the friendly smile's warmth seemed like the sparklers that Dudley played with on New Year's though with the heat turned up, fast, crackling, energetic, and unpredictable, this new warmth reminded him of a merry fire like the ones Uncle Vernon would start in the fireplace during Christmas, thick, roaring, strong, and smoky. The warmth enveloped his entire hand, moving to the rest of his body. Big hands. When the new warmth too suddenly left, Harry started panicking again until a while later it returned and he calmed. The big hands stayed with him, never letting go for more than a few seconds before they stopped going away completely.

After a while, Harry started becoming more aware of his surroundings enough to open his eyes and look around a bit. He was in a hospital room, he recognized from various shows his aunt liked to watch. The door to the nurse's station was to the right, a bathroom ahead and to the left, a window on his left, and a man holding his hand talking to another man at the foot of his bed. The second man wore a white coat, a doctor, while the first man he vaguely recognized as Captain Turner, the friend Captain Sparrow had mentioned. He watched the man as the two talked, the speech not really reaching his still foggy brain. He had kind, deep eyes. When the man with the kind eyes started to remove his hands, panic over swept him again as he tightened his own around the bigger ones.

Will was surprised when he met resistance when trying to remove his hand. He looked shocked at the boy who had squeezed his hand, more than surprised that he was awake already. The last nurse had assured him that he would be out for the rest of the night. The boy was sleepily looking with dull emerald eyes at him as though begging he not leave. "Hey there, big guy," he quietly whispered kneeling, startling Dr. Casy who seeing the child awake started checking the monitors and his charts; the kid should not be awake. "My name is Will Turner. I was with the man who found you. Do you remember," he asked softly. Though his head still foggy, what the man with the kind eyes said reached Harry who gave a slow nod. The doctor wrote something in his charts. "Good, good. I'm afraid I have to leave you for now, but Captain Sparrow will be in to see you," he added as he saw the panic start to return. "Is that alright?"

Not wanting the man with the kind eyes to leave, but with the promise of the man with the friendly smile coming, Harry ventured to ask, his throat cracking, "Will you come back?" The doctor made another note on his charts.

Will smiled, glad to see in person that the child they had rescued was recovering as well as he was. He answered, "Aye, no worries, lad. I'll return at sun rise. May I ask your name," he again asked softly.

Forcing his swimming eyes on the man with the kind eyes, on Captain Turner, his voice came out stronger. "Harry, sir. Harry Potter." The doctor made another note in his charts.

Will's smile widened into a grin. "Well, Harry Potter, I shall see you in the morning. I'll send Captain Sparrow in, alright?" Harry nodded again and released his hold on his hand. Slowly removing himself from the bed side, he stopped in the door way. "Captain Sparrow will be right in, promise." He was rewarded with a week smile from the sleepy boy.

Stepping into the waiting room to fetch Jack, Will was met with what he thought would be the funniest thing that decade next to when Jack had been forced into drag by the Italian merchant a few years back. The past queer jokes about the poor captain started up again shortly afterwards. A small handful of each crew was sitting in the small waiting room. James, Howles, the sailor that had recently joined, Koleniko, and Penrod, two of the few who stayed aboard from the crew who survived after Jones' death, where sitting with Jack, Anamaria, Cotton, Mr. Gibbs, and Marty, all receiving various forms of looks from the other patients waiting to be seen. Through the wide windows, he could see even more of the crews loitering around, Pintel and Ragetti entertaining the lot with yet another of their arguments with Cotton's parrot, though he noticed that most of his crew was missing.

Jack, seeing Will enter had immediately jumped from his seat. Ignoring the startled old woman he was sitting next to, he rushed over to Will, the rest of the crew at his heels. "Well? How's the boy," he asked impatiently. Will could see the rest of the crew pressing themselves against the windows, Pintel and Ragetti at the forefront.

Straining to keep a straight face at the hilarious spectacle he was sure they were making, he answered, "Harry Potter is doing fine," the people around him relaxed in relief, "He's rather groggy, but awake and I promised you'd go be with him," he finished directing himself at Jack.

"'Arry Potter, now, aye," Jack ventured. Receiving a nod from his mate, Jack turned to the doctor that had come out with Will. "Now then, my good doctor, if ya would be so kind as ta show this 'umble pirate to said boy in yoer capable care so that he may no' wonder the 'alls all night and keep said boy waiting?" The doctor laughed as he led Jack into the halls.

Turning to face the rest of the crew, Will saw that most of them had gone outside to give the others the good news. A shout could be heard from outside as they celebrated. Only James, Anamaria, and Mr. Gibbs stayed behind. Mr. Gibbs stepped up. "Well, Turner? How be the lad really?" James and Anamaria leaned in to listen.

"Truly, he shall be fine. He is still suffering from a high fever, but the doctor says it is slowly going down. However, they won't know anything for certain until the morning. More than likely when children's social services arrives for him." His audience nodded in understanding.

James glanced swiftly at a clock overhead. "Will," he said gesturing to the clock with his head. The captain gave a curt nod as he too looked at the clock again before heading for the door, James behind him. "I've ordered most of the men to stay behind and prep the Dutchman to dive."

"Good, we're running behind as it is," Will said as he glanced at the setting sun. Stepping outside, he announced, "My crew! We're heading back to the ship! We shall return in the morning, but for now, we've a job to do!" The men and few women of his crew hollered their acknowledgment and headed back to where they were docked. Anamaria, stating she would be staying behind, started ordering the rest of them back to the Pearl in the opposite direction, Mr. Gibbs giving orders for when they reached the ship to settle in for the night.

Not far, in a dank marsh, a now familiar dreadlocked woman sat in her yellow dress, gazing into her array of seashells. "Soon, y'ung wiz'ard 'Arry. Soon," she murmured, a monkey settling on her shoulder, chattering as though it knew what was to come.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I seem to keep making these chapters longer and longer. Shesh.

Post Author's Notes: This is the third time I've posted this thing. I keep finding things that need correcting. I'm thinking of going through and just correcting what needs to be fixed before continuing.

To Funness: I claim the flu. Hehe. I'm glad you liked the chapter so much, and thanks for pointing out the holes. I thought they were obvious, but it was with your help that I finally got an idea on how to go about this chapter. This one's dedicated to you, hun!

To peppymint: I still can't get over the imagery! Oh, that would just be perfect. I hope you say yes.

To Le Diablo Blanc2: I shouldn't be saying, for it could give away some things, but I'll say anyway. I'm thinking on speeding ahead once this thing settles, though with some breaks in between so that it doesn't seem like such a fast forward. Hope you stay tuned to read it.

To LostGryffindorFoundSlytherin: I'm sorry I brought up some bad memories. Just for you, I'll tell ya that Harry does not get taken back to the Dursleys. I hope that doesn't spoil the story too much, and that you'll continue to read.

To the-dreamer4: Regarding your original review, that was a classic typo, my dear. I need to brush up on my Harry Potter it seems. I also claim that my fogged mind is in June and I knew his birthday was at some sort of ending on a month. –shrug- I've fixed it though. –Goes off to read Harry Potter timelines.-

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse**

An Accord

Oh how he hated hospitals. Nothing good ever came out of a hospital, especially since only bad things ever went into it. Like the old woman who sat beside him. Thrice now she had hit him with her cane for no reason. He couldn't understand why he and the crew were receiving such hostility. They were only wearing various forms of old clothing that hadn't been washed in a few months. Oh yes, Jack hated hospitals. He looked up to the ceiling, praying that Will come soon. As though his prayers had been heard, said pirate captain walked in through the door. Quickly sending his eyes back skyward to give a quick thanks, he jumped from his seat and headed for Will, ignoring the indignant old woman who frowned at him at his sudden movement and attempted to catch his legs with her cane one last time. "Well? How's the boy," he asked feeling a little impatient. Idly, he noticed that Will lips seemed to strain not to smile as he surveyed the room. 'Good. If 'e can venture ta laugh, tha lad must be alright,' he thought.

"Harry Potter is doing fine," Will answered. Jack could feel the tension in the room disappear. "He's rather groggy, but awake and I promised you'd go be with him," Will finished as he looked at Jack.

Surprised at getting a name already, he ventured, "'Arry Potter, now, aye?" Receiving a nod from his mate, Jack turned to the doctor that had come out with Will. "Now then, my good doctor, if ya would be so kind as ta show this 'umble pirate to said boy in yoer capable care so that he may no' wonder the 'alls all night and keep said boy waiting?" The doctor laughed as he headed back into the halls, Jack following close behind. Faintly, he could hear yelling coming from outside.

As they rode the elevator, Jack started up conversation. "So, how is little Valerie these days? Goin' on six now, yes?"

Dr. Casy turned with a smile towards the captain, a picture in his mind when his little girl had tackled the infamous pirate so hard that they had both been sent back into the water from the docks during the Pearl's last visit. "That's right, Captain. She'll be six early next month. She's hopping you'll show up for her party."

Jack chuckled. "By tha way things are goin' now, that jus' might happen, mate. Best no' tell the lass though, don't want ta get her 'opes up just yet." The father beside him nodded his head in agreement.

With a ding, the elevator stopped and Dr. Casy led Jack to a room at the end of a hall. Jack nodded his head in thanks as he stepped into the room and scanned the boy in the bed. He looked a fright better than when he had last seen him. It seemed, though that the boy had fallen back asleep during his wait. Settling into the chair he presumed had been vacated by Will, he prepared himself for a long night.

As time went on and his eyes slowly started to droop, he started slowly mumbling under his breath, "Yo, ho, haul together. Hoist tha colors high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die. Tha king and 'is men stole tha queen from her bed and bound her in her bones. Tha seas be ours and by the powers, where we will we'll roam. Yo, ho, haul together. Hoist tha colors high. Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never say we die." The song reached Harry in his sleep, coaxing him into even deeper slumber, leaving an imprint on his young mind.

Harry awoke the next morning with the evil sun in his eyes and the sound of snoring in his ears. Blinking and raising a hand, the other arm gave a prickling feeling when moved, he rubbed his eyes to clear them of sleep gunk. He looked around and his eyes settled on the man with the friendly smile, Captain Sparrow. A nurse with her nose stuck in some charts who had noticed Harry awake entered the room. "Well, Mr. Potter, let's just see what your…" the nurse trailed off into a scream having caught sight of the slumbering pirate, though Harry didn't understand how someone couldn't hear him first without seeing him.

Startled out of his slumber, Jack jumped to his feet in turn screaming, "Not tha rum!" The nurse clutched her charts to her chest. Blinking blearily at the nurse cowering near the door, he said, "You're not rum."

The nurse straightened herself, hands at her side, an indignant look on her face. "I most certainly am not." She stilled as the strange man began to approach, tripping over his own feet on the way.

Jack's half active mind decided it was a good idea to sniff her. Raising his head back up from her bosom, he commented, "You don' smell like rum either." Infuriated, the nurse pulled back and gave a mighty swing with her palm. With a loud slap, Jack's head turned towards the bed, his body hunching a bit at the force of the blow. He was awake now. Seeing the boy in the bed awake with his mouth open as he stared at the two crazy adults, Jack mumbled to him as his memory caught up with the rest of him, "I think I deserved tha' one." Harry gave the only response he could think of: he broke out laughing.

As he stepped off the elevator, Dr. Casy heard a loud sound of something akin to skin on skin shortly followed by childish laughter. Following the laughter, he hurried to the room of his latest patient. He was met with the sight of young Harry holding his stomach with one hand as he laughed while the pirate captain rested his hands on his hips, his foot tapping the floor, and an annoyed look directed at the boy on his face which sported a large, red hand print. The nurse inside the room looked ready to murder. Not really wanting to know what happened, he snatched the boy's charts from the nurse and pushed her out the door. "I believe the patient in room three needs his breakfast. Would you be a dear and go fetch it for him? Thanks."

The nurse turned to protest only to have the door slammed in her face. Pouting, she went to go fetch the meal. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'At least he was cute.'

Turning back towards the pirate and boy, Dr. Casy said, "I don't want to know, but I get the feeling I'll be dealing with paperwork concerning harassment charges soon."

Ignoring the ribbing, Jack said to the doctor, "I think there is some'n wrong with tha whelp. He keeps laughing at me."

Dr. Casy smiled, glad to hear the laughter from the boy. "I don't believe there is anything wrong with him, Captain. I'm sure he'll calm if you were to sit down though." Huffing, Jack did as he was told, even more peeved as the boy did begin to calm.

There was a knock at the door before Anamaria stepped in. "G'morning all. Oh! 'Ello there, Harry. Have a good sleep?" Harry nodded his head at the strange, new woman in confirmation. "Good. A lad such as ya needs all the rest 'e needs to grow nice an' strong," she cooed over him, petting his hair down.

Smirking at seeing the mother hen side of his second mate, Jack interrupted. "And wha' might ya be doing here, 'Maria?" Startled, she straightened and gave a wicked smirk towards her captain. Jack got up again and started inching his way towards the window. Reaching into her pack at her side, Anamaria pulled out a brown paper package which Jack recognized. A terrified look came over the pirate as he hastily said, "Whateva for?"

"Dr. Casy informs me tha' tha children's social services agent should be here soon," she answered with the smirk still on her face.

Jack's face went white; quite a feat really considering the tan he had from being out in the sun so much. Panicked, he exclaimed, "No! You can' make me! I'm your cap'ain and you mus' do as I say, and I say ya can't make me!"

Twenty minutes later, Jack emerged from the bathroom sporting a crisp, cream, modern day, collared shirt, black slacks, and ankle length shoes. His face had been cleaned as there was no sign of the kohl that usually lined his eyes and his skin was slightly paler than normal as layers of dirt and grime had been lifted off of it. His amulets and bangles had mostly been removed, his hair sported fewer trinkets in it, his bandana had been removed, and his dreadlocks had been pinned back with bobby pins. He had refused to remove the rings from his fingers. "I feel utterly redica…dicular…redida…"

"Ridiculous," came a voice from the door.

"Aye. That be tha one: ridiculous," he said as he turned and pointed towards the voice. In the door way was Will sporting the same type of shirt as Jack only white, black suit pants, and the same shoes as Jack. His facial hair had been trimmed and his hair washed and combed, now pulled back in a pony tail sans bandana. His wedding ring on his hand and his hoop in his ear glittered in the early morning sun. "Well, don' you clean up nice," Jack commented again peeved. Anamaria came out of the bathroom, a smug smirk on her face and her pack now holding most of her captain's things, his jacket lay in her arms.

Ignoring the foul mood of his mate, Will made his way to Harry's bedside. "Good morning, Harry. How are you feeling today," he asked as he kneeled to Harry's level.

Harry had watched as the strange woman had forced Captain Sparrow into the bathroom which had proceeded to admit strange thumps, noises, and screams. Several curse words had flown out of the closed door that Dr. Casy was certain was not meant for a young child to hear. Harry just smiled and giggled through it all. During this, the doctor had informed Harry, as a nurse came with his breakfast which he picked at, about the agent that was coming to see him who was only going to ask him some questions. While giving a small rundown of what kind of questions Harry would be asked, the bathroom door had opened admitting the fresh and steamed pirate. Dr. Casy was relieved when Captain Turner showed up at the door. Again, Harry had watched things with a smile and giggles.

Turning to face the man at his bedside, Harry answered, "I'm feeling fine, Captain Turner. Dr. Casy was telling me about the agent that was coming to ask me questions while the lady hurt Captain Sparrow." Jack gave a smirk while an unladylike snort came from Anamaria.

Sporting his own smirk and a quick glance at the two Pearl sailors, Will said, "Call me Will, and I'm sure what ever he did, he deserved it."

"Hey!" Jack's present company went into another bout of laughter as he pouted at his spot on the wall.

It was the laughter that greeted the arrival of the social service's agent. "Well, isn't this a lively group," the woman observed as she entered the room. Anamaria snuck out the open window and down the fire escape before she could be seen, Jack's clothes in hand. Spotting the doctor, the new woman offered a hand, "Sara Writing from children's social services here concerning a Harry Potter. You are Doctor Casy I presume?"

Shaking the woman's hand, he answered, "Yes, I'm Harry's primary during his stay here. Thank you for coming, Miss Writing. These gentlemen are Misters Jack Sparrow, the man who found Harry, and William Turner who was accompanying Mr. Sparrow at the time. Mr. Turner had expressed to me previously that they wanted to be here during your interview with young Harry here. I saw no problem with it seeing as they and Harry got along quite well."

Taking out a notebook from her purse, she wrote a few notes before offering her hand to the two pirates, each dipping slightly over her hand as they held it with their palms up in loose grasps. A small blush could be seen on Miss Writing's face. "Very well. We prefer things this way actually. Keeps the child from panicking, you see." Jack and Will nodded, appeasing her.

Turning towards the bed, she searched the child in it over, writing a few notes in her book, before approaching his bedside. "And you must be Harry Potter. I'm Sara and I'll be your social worker until we can find your family," she said as she sat on the bed. Harry looked up at her before holding out his hand. Smiling, Sara shook it. "Now then Harry. I'm going to ask you a few questions, alright?" Harry looked towards the two pirates for assurance who smiled back at him. Nodding, Harry consented. "Alright then. What is your favorite color?"

Surprised, Harry answered, "Blue."

Sara marked the color blue and the language English off in her notebook. "Do you like your daycare much?"

"I don't go to a daycare. Aunt Petunia sends me to Mrs. Figgs' house next door."

Sara wrote down the names he mentioned. "Can you tell me your birthday?"

Nodding, Harry said, "July thirty first. My fourth birthday is next month."

Sara wrote down his birthday and age and noted that he had knowledge of the calendar. Dr. Casy crossed out the two in his charts and wrote in a three and his birthday. They had mistaken his age due to his size and weight.

"What's your favorite food?"

Harry frowned before answering. "I don't know. I haven't had all that many kinds. Uncle Vernon said that a freak like me shouldn't have so many. Dudley gets to try all he likes, though. His favorite is cheeseburgers." Silence met his observation. Sara wrote down the various names. Harry continued, "Well, I suppose I like the bananas the monkey gave me. I'd never had a banana before. They were sweet."

Jack and Will shared a look. Dr. Casy and Sara looked confused. Sara asked, "A monkey?"

Harry nodded vigorously. "A monkey in a vest," Jack turned away as he smirked while Will covered his mouth with a hand to hide his smile. "He came with lots of bananas one day while I was waiting for my uncle to come pick me up from our vacation spot. He had said that they were going to go get their luggage and for me to stay there, but they never came back."

Sara made several notes in her book. "Did you live with your aunt and uncle?"

"Yup. Aunt Petunia said that my mum and dad died in a car accident. They said that's where I got this scar," Harry said as he pointed at his forehead. For the first time, the people present noticed the lightning shaped scar. His bangs had been so long, no one had seen it.

"Did you like living with your aunt and uncle," she asked.

Harry frowned again before answering. "It was alright. I had the cupboard under the stairs to myself, though it got cold at night," frowns started marring the faces of the adults present, "I had to take care of the garden, Aunt Petunia would lock me in my cupboard if I didn't take care of her flowers properly, sweep and dust, and prepare breakfast and lunch. Aunt Petunia took care of dinner, but I had to clean up afterwards. Just some normal chores is all," he said with a shrug.

Miss Writing's lips had become thin. "And if you did something wrong, what would happen," she asked as she wrote in her book.

Harry hesitated and lowered his head, suddenly not wanting to talk. Knowing that the boy had to say something or the lady wouldn't be able to help, Jack settled himself down on Harry's other side and hoisted him onto his lap. Harry latched himself onto the arm that put itself around his waist. Running his fingers through the child's hair, Jack murmured into Harry's ear, "It's alright, lad. Nothing's going ta hurt you. You've go' Cap'ain Jack Sparrow on your side, and he's no' about to let ya get hurt, now. It's alright ta talk."

Crouching, Will joined the two, putting a hand on Harry's knee, "Aye. And you've got the captain of the Flying Dutchman, Will Turner, at your service. I won't let anything get to you."

Looking hesitantly up into the captains' eyes, Harry timidly asked, "Promise?"

Sharing a look, an accord between men was made as they answered together, "Aye."

Gathering strength at the promise, Harry turned back to Sara. "Uncle Vernon has this belt. Whenever I did something bad, he would give me lashings, like when Dudley offered me his Teddy to play with. He said I shouldn't play with other people's toys. He mostly hit my bum, but sometimes he would miss and hit my back." Harry quieted down afterwards, only giving simple answers as he sat in Jack's lap through the rest of the interview.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: Here it is. My longest chapter yet. Forgive me if it is seems rushed. Usually, an investigation of this caliber doesn't take such a short time, but for my fic it does. If there are any holes or discrepancies, I'm going to ignore them for now as I've nearly whacked my brain out trying to make sense in this chapter and still have the plot go the way I want it too. Again, forgive me if it seems rushed.

To GenkaiFan: I agree with you that too many good fics here on ff.n are ever finished. I can name several off the top of my head. I hope that this one doesn't become one of them.

To the-dreamer4: Again, thank you for pointing out my flaw in the last chapter. I've gone back and changed it and have since been brushing up on my Harry Potter. I found an awesome timeline that shows the differences between the movies and the books. I believe I'll be sticking to the books more than the movies in the future. I'm glad you like my Jack scene. It just came to me as I was writing the darn thing. It was so much fun! XD

To Funness: XP I'm glad you liked it so much. Hope I don't disappoint this time. I like pairing Jack with kids. It's my theory that adults see the pirate when they look at him, but only kids can see the, who was the reviewer who said it, you?, only kids can see the Pan inside him. As for the song, I originally had A Pirate's Life For Me, but then I thought that it was too energetic for the scene. 15 Men, I thought, was also too dark. Thanks for the awesome review and I hope you like the chapter.

To all who have asked where Will's heart is: This chapter is for all of you.

**Warning: Mentions of child abuse**

Taken In

James watched his captain repeatedly crossed the deck of the Flying Dutchman. He could swear that he was going to leave a hole in the wood. James pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought of how the crew was faring with their captain in this state of mind. At least half of them thought him endearing to worry so much for the boy Harry, while the others thought it annoying, though understood their captain's worry having heard of the boy's condition. He didn't know what it was that drew the two captains to that boy other than Calypso, but the lad seemed to already have the two infamous, deadly, ghostly pirates completely wrapped around his little finger and didn't even know it. James couldn't tell what made the boy so special even when he had seen him later on after the meeting with the social worker. According to Will, the lad was from England, as they later found during the interview, age three going on four soon, orphaned, and, James' mind would stutter to a halt, abused. Alright, so maybe he could understand a little as to why the usually fierce pirates seemed to soften around him. Of course, they had acted like this when Will Junior had been born. Sparrow had been the worst of the lot, playing with the babe. Anamaria had sworn loudly a few decades later that they should have hurried up with the invention of the camera. Elizabeth, however, had hired a brave soul to hide and draw the pirate and baby in secret. Will kept them in a drawer in his cabin against Sparrow's protests, insisting of burning them at the stake as he had a reputation to uphold. Elizabeth, bless her, had wanted to know just what reputation.

Holding back a smirk, James continued to watch as Will paced the deck, the Locker's misty air billowing around his feet. Now that he thought of it, he was acting just as when Elizabeth had gone into labor. Of course, he had gone and joined his captain, stressed himself though it showed in his work; ropes tied in the wrong order, mass areas not washed on deck, and when he had gone to mend a sail, he had instead sewn someone's pants to it. The gent had gotten quite the surprise when they had gone to hoist it.

Nodding his head as though coming to a conclusion, James strode purposefully towards his captain, his feet he allowed to stomp on the deck so as to give Will time enough to know he was coming. Of course, Will paid it no mind, lost in his own thoughts. As James came up to Will, he waited until his back was turned before reaching out, grabbing hold of his collar and giving a mighty heave and shove. Stunned, Will was tossed overboard. Turning, James ordered the now still crew to get back to work. 'I'm going to get tossed into the brig for this,' he thought with a smile.

Indeed, half an hour later, James smiled as steel bars were slammed shut behind him. Will had stayed down there for a good twenty minutes, probably in shock, before storming back up to the deck demanding what the bloody hell he was thinking. James turned to face the man before him who dripped copious amounts of water onto the floor. "It was for your own good, you know."

"My own good," Will asked incredulously.

"That's right."

"And how was it for my own good exactly?"

James smiled again. "You've been stressing over that boy ever since you left the hospital. I understand that you're worried, we're all worried, but you've got half the crew up in arms with your worry," he explained as he started to weave his tale. Will looked murderous.

"Do you know what will happen to him if he gets sent back to those people he lived with," Will asked furiously, stepping close to the cage bars that James had stuck his hands through.

James' face slackened, darkening ever so slightly, his accent coming out heavy in his anger though his voice remained steady. "Yes I know what will happen to the boy if he is ever returned, but what concern is it of yours? You've only just met him, and you are in no position to worry about him. You've got half the crew upset with your worry, and you've been cutting it close enough these past few days time that some of them are beginning to think they are growing barnacles. I'll tell you now, Will, I'd rather crossover than face the same fate of Jones' men." Frustrated, Will removed his bandana, now dressed in his normal clothes, and scratched at his head as he sat on a nearby barrel. James again studied the troubled pirate, angry at himself for playing devil's advocate though knowing he must. Lowly, he asked, "What is the boy to you?"

Huffing, Will answered, "Does it matter?"

"It matters a great deal. You are captain. What matters to you, matters to the crew. Again, what is the boy to you?"

Will's eyes became glassy as he thought. Seeing the boy's scars had brought memories he thought he had forgotten of his own. The lashing he had received from his father while he was still under Davy Jones' command did not come to mind, those were inconsequential, but rather the ones he suffered at the hands of his blacksmith master. The drunk of a man had a rather heavy hand when intoxicated, and Will took comfort in the thought he was surely dead by now. He thought of how he had lost everything that day as a boy when the ship he was on had been attacked, the only piece of his father lost, those he considered family onboard dead, himself escaping on a piece of driftwood only to be saved by Governor Swann, then to be put in the hands of the drunken blacksmith. Over the years he endured, slowly mastering his craft and practicing with wooden swords in the beginning to protect himself from his master. Many a times he had knocked the fool out who would wake up hours later, not remembering a thing. Will almost considered it a blessing that he had run into Jack when he did.

Harry had lost his family only to be dumped with another that worked and abused him, just as his master had, only to have them abandon him in a strange place to his death. Will had felt at the time, he remembered, that he had been abandoned by those he thought family and by the generous governor. His only anchor had been Elizabeth. Harry had no one to anchor him. Harry had no one and nothing, just as he had at one point. Startled, he realized why he cared so much.

James had watched as Will had gone into his daze, his eyes bearing a milky quality to them as he thought. Patiently he waited, only to smirk in triumph as the fuzz left Will's eyes to be replaced with surprise. "Well? What is the boy to you," he asked again after forcing his smirk back. Wouldn't due to have him know he was torturing him on purpose.

Still dazed, Will turned his head to face his first mate. "I see me." James smiled as Will started holding his head in his hands. He hollered for someone to take the captain to his quarters for a rest and to let him out of the brig in an hour. James settled down to catch what sleep he could. He had a feeling that things were about to change around the ship, Calypso's doing or not, and he would need all the energy he could get. Besides, playing confidant to that man was exhausting.

Will lay on his bed, his eyes closed and body relaxed as he allowed the rock of the ship to ease him. He went over what had happened down in the brig, surprise still filling him at his revelation. He went over what Miss Writing had said after the interview. She was going to submit what she knew to children's social service who would follow and find the family in question. From there, they would see what happened. Will smirked as he thought of just how he could still help Harry, even if he were sent back to the family. They would be in for one ghastly of a surprise. Faintly, Will idly thought as he fell into slumber, he could feel his heart beat within his body's chest. His mind corrected him that it still beat within his wooden one, locked down with iron, the key around his neck, and hidden under the cursed treasure of Cortez on Isle de Muerta, hidden from the world with magic cast by Tia.

On the Pearl, Jack was going through a similar revelation though without someone's help. He knew his feelings well enough, and he knew why he was willing to help this boy, the goddess's intervention aside. It was the boy's eyes. Those dull green eyes. For an instant, as he laughed that day, they had sparkled the purest green Jack had ever seen. They showed brighter than the finest of emeralds, and Jack had seen many a green rock in his life. There was treasure in his eyes, that one. It was a treasure that should never be tarnished and thrown away as some petty change. Jack knew with some polish, he could get those eyes to sparkle again despite where the boy may end up. Smirking at the thought, he continued to oversee the last minute maintenance of the Pearl, dressed in his normal clothes. He would change back into his modern formals again in the morning when the agent said she'd have feedback for them. At his side was Harry's pack and chest that he had retrieved from the shack when he had gone to show the agent where he had found the lad. They had been forced to take a row boat and make up some story of receiving help from some nearby fishermen. Harry couldn't dispute for he had slept through the whole thing. Drinking from a bottle of rum, Jack settled down as he watched his crew settle for the night.

In a fifth story hospital bed, Harry lay looking at the clear night sky. He didn't want to go back to the Durselys no matter how much he may have missed Dudley despite his flaws. He didn't know where he wanted to go, but it wasn't back to Privet Drive. He couldn't quite understand what was being whispered outside his door, but it sounded as though they were going to look for the Durselys. He pulled up the covers past his chin, mindful of the IV in his arm, at the thought. The wind blew through the trees, the sound reaching Harry's ears. Worry still in his head, he was lulled into sleep by the wind. His mind added a strange, low melody as though it had heard the song before. His mind seemed to be wiped of problems as he fell deeper into slumber. Outside the window, the skeleton of a monkey watched the boy sleep as the moon shined down on him, a banana in its hands.

Jack hurried the next morning to the hospital, Harry's pack over a shoulder and his chest under an arm. He was dressed in his modern formals which to his horror seemed to attract more of those teeny bopper girls that seemed to follow him. He sighed in relief when the doors to the hospital came into sight, causing his first and second mates, both dressed in modern formals though Anamaria had refused to wear a dress, accompanying him to snicker. Ignoring them, he entered the lobby to find Will and Norrington waiting. Together, they entered an elevator to the fifth floor and headed to Harry's room. Normally, so many people were not allowed to visit a patient at a time, but the hospital head, hearing of the crews of the Black Pearl and Flying Dutchman, had allowed it. Entering, they found Harry sitting up, his bandages having been changed, munching on a banana he had found on his bedside. Dr. Casy had thought a nurse had left it for him. Anamaria instantly went to Harry's side, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

They had just settled down when Dr. Casy appeared at the door with an update on Harry's status. "His fever has gone, it is now back to normal, and his blood came back negative for anything he might have caught from the bug bites. As for the bites themselves, they are already scabbing over and should be fine by next week so long as he doesn't scratch," he said directing himself towards Harry who was reaching for a leg. Sheepishly, Harry retracted his hand. "Further more, Harry's water levels are coming back to normal and with a good diet, his health should gradually be that of what a boy his age should be. As soon as the bites heal over, I believe he's ready to leave, wherever that may be," Dr. Casy finished as he closed Harry's charts.

"That's good to know," came a voice from the door. Turning, they saw Miss Writing in the doorway. "I'm glad to know that Harry's recovery is coming along nicely." She held up a folder with the title Children's Social Services on the front. The results were in.

Anamaria turned to Harry saying, "How abou' we go fer a walk, yes? Stretch out our legs some." Harry turned pleadingly towards Dr. Casy, excited to get out of bed. Smiling, Dr. Casy transferred his IV to a rolling holder from a closet. In his cotton hospital gown and pants, Harry held onto Anamaria's hand as they walked down the hall, the female pirate rolling the holder with them.

When the squeaking of the wheels left their ears, James leaned forward to listen. "Well, how bad is it?" The rest of the men turned an attentive ear towards Sara.

Grimacing, she answered, "It's bad. The local airport was able to track down three Dursleys, Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley, all fitting Harry's description. They had come on vacation and had stayed at a hotel for a total of three days before heading back to England. They could find no record of a Harry James Potter crossing the border though they did find a Michal Jaspen in their records matching the one found in Harry's pack. Scotland Yard went to question the Dursleys, but they claimed they had never heard of a Harry Potter before. They checked the cupboard under the stairs, but all they found were cleaning supplies. There was no sign of there being another child. They did talk to an Arabella Figg who said that Harry did live there, but according to other neighbors, they had never seen the boy and that Mrs. Figg is the neighborhood crazy cat lady. When asked about them not seeing Harry tending to Petunia's garden, they said they thought him a neighborhood boy working for some money. Mrs. Figg did try and get them to tell her where Harry is now, but rules were they were not allowed to say. The guy at the store where Vernon Dursley bought three passports says he can't remember who Vernon was or who he came in with. Their records show that the passport for Michal Jaspen was paid for in cash. Checking the Dursleys' background, they found that Petunia's older sister, Lily, had married a James Potter a few years back. There was no record of them having a child. As a matter of fact, other than the marriage papers, there was no record at all on James Potter. It was like the man had just appeared. No birth certificate, no school records, not even a mention of a job. The guys in the lab cross referenced Harry's DNA with that of Lily's on record and they found a match. Harry is definitely Lily Potter's son and Harry was at one point in the Dursley's custody, though there were no records of him being there. All paper trails show that Harry has never stepped foot into the Dursley household, but all evidence points otherwise. The Dursleys will be charged for child abuse, abandonment, and lying to an officer of the law. Harry has no other family other than Vernon's sister, Marjorie Dursley, who has shown no interest in taking Harry in. As it is, when Harry is released from here, he'll go straight into foster care before being shipped back to England to an orphanage. He'll receive his inheritance from his mother, according to the Dursley's lawyer, Mr. Beckett, when Harry reaches the age of seventeen. As of now, all that Harry can claim is the island and hut through a loophole in Lily Potter's will." Sara took a breath, drinking a little water from a bottle in her purse.

The men had not liked the report at all. They were glad that the Dursleys would be getting what they deserved, but the part of sending Harry to an orphanage was just wrong. Mr. Biggs had started cursing softly under his breath as there was a lady in the room, James had stalked to the window, leaning on it as he looked out, Dr. Casy was fiddling with his charts, Jack was leaning in his seat thinking, his fingers forming a steeple, while Will leaned on the wall, his arms crossed, and those who know him would say he had a devious smile upon his face. "Foster care you say?"

Surprised, Sara answered, "Yes."

"Are children in foster care still up for adoption?" His fellow pirates looked at him in surprise. Jack's mouth started widening into a smirk, a bit of gold glittered in the sun from the window.

Comprehension started forming on Sara's face, "Why yes, they are. At any time."

"And what would one need to do to adopt a child in foster care?"

"Anyone interested in adoption must show proof of being able to care for the child: a steady income, a stable home, and a clean, safe environment for the child among other things." Will's face fell. He had none of those. His job offered no pay in money, though what he had stashed away from some of his looting with Jack would be more than enough to take care of the lad, but all he had for a home was his ship which wasn't exactly the cleanest or safest place for a child.

Sensing Will's block, Jack ventured, "Tha island is now in 'Arry's name, yes?" At a nod, he continued. "Then could tha' be used to house the lad?"

Sara looked thoughtful. "Yes, I think that would work. As long as he had someone watching over him, I see no problem."

Smiling, Jack said, "Jus' show me w'ere ta sign then, love."

Glad that Harry had such people, though practically strangers, willing to take the boy in, Sara still had to keep Harry's best interest in the forefront. "And just what might your occupation be, Mr. Sparrow?"

"Um. I'm a sailor."

"A sailor? You don't look marines. Fisherman then?" The surrounding crew had flinched. There was nothing more insulting than calling a pirate a fisherman.

"Well, I suppose ya could say tha', love. Though more along th' line of a fisherm'n of…fortune really. An entrepreneur if ya will."

Sara raised an eyebrow. "You are self employed then?"

"Yes," Jack exclaimed as he clapped his hands. "I am self employed."

"Excellent, all I need to see are your self employment papers, a summary of your bank account, and I'll start on the papers tonight." Jack's smile went slack as did the others. After a moment, Sara started laughing. The men stared at her. "Honestly, Captain Sparrow. Did you think a Tortuga born citizen would not know of the stories of the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman?" The men tensed having been caught, though Jack grinned at the feeling of being duped by a young land walker. "I shall start on the papers tonight, though you will need to transfer money into a back account. You can use Harry's name if you like. The total process takes three days, but by then, Harry will be in your care, Captain."

Jack smirked at the devious woman. "'Ow long 'ave you known?" James was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Honestly? When we went to the island, I saw you retrieve the rowboat from a ship with black sails. There is only one ship in the Caribbean with black sails that docks in Tortuga," she said with a smirk as she gathered her things and headed for the door.

"Joint custody," Jack called out to her. Turning to face him, he continued, "I wan' joint custody o'er Harry with my mate William Turner."

Will had been both surprised and ecstatic when Jack had said he'd adopt the boy. He was even more so when Jack declared joint custody, naming him as the other. His knees week, he slid to the floor. Mr. Gibbs laughed at the sight.

Curious, Mrs. Writing said, "I'll need a reason to put in the papers."

"Well, as long as we are talk'n abou' honesty, I'll be honest with my dishonesty and will honestly tell ya that I can not honestly say I can watch tha lad at all times unless I take 'im with me."

Sara nodded, "Alright, I can work with that. Do you consent, Captain Turner?"

Startled, Will rose on shaky legs, Gibbs still chuckling at him, and answered, "Aye."

"Then we have an accord, gentlemen. See you in a few days." With that, Sara turned on her heels, leaving the stunned pirates and doctor to go to her office. She had her work cut out for her this time.

Down the hall from the room, the pirates could hear a familiar song coming from Harry and Anamaria as they returned to the room. Jack and Will shared a smirk as they went to go greet them. "Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We kindle and char, inflame and ignite, drink up, me 'earties, yo ho! We burn up the city, we're really a fright, drink up, me 'earties, yo ho! We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves, drink up, me 'earties, yo ho! We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,  
drink up, me 'earties, yo ho!"


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: -Clicking on her stats page, she falls off her seat when she sees the reviews.- Holy shit! Twenty reviews!? –Her eyes start tearing, little waterfalls forming down her cheeks.- I love you guys! I'm so glad everyone seems to like my story. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.

To the-dreamer4: Hmm…I'm not sure yet if I'll have Sara stay on just yet. I've got an idea on just how Jack and Will are going to go about raising Harry, so we'll have to see. As to the crew knowing about Calypso, yes they knew. –Makes a note in her journal to do a rewrite.- James was just playing Will and one of Will's fears was turning his crew like Jones' men. As for the seashell…you'll just have to wait and see. –Grin- Post Reply: Dang it! I thought Tonks was older than that. It's been a while since I've read the books, but I remember thinking her older. I've changed the chapter to not include her just yet, but I plan to. Thanks for the heads up.

To goddessa39: Thank you! I was having trouble coming up with a reason as to why Calypso was so interested in Harry. XP Hope you like the chapter.

To eriswolfe38: I've been scouring ff.n for a while now and I've made a small c2 with notable HP/PofC fics. Go check them out.

To Sakura Lisel: I think it only applies to the captain, but I would have to watch the movies again to be sure. As for Harry living aboard the Dutchman, he isn't. I put a spontaneous loophole in Lily Potter's will that gave the island that he was abandoned on to Harry. The Dutchman is no place for a child after all.

To Kurotsuchi Mayuri: Oh! You got to go to the midnight showing? Lucky you. It would have been so cool to see people dressed up. I would have brought my SLR camera with me. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk. Enjoy the chapter!

To Mr. Snuffles: Thank you for the stories. I'll go over them ASAP.

A note to those curious about the blood wards around the Dursley home. I'm not quite sure the mechanics of the wards in canon, but I've made it so that Harry is protected under a blood relative's roof so long as he lives there. The island and hut belonged to his mother then his aunt and now him, making it a roof related to his immediate family. The wards won't go off when he is on a ship for a ship has no roof, only a deck. I've found that wards and spells can be either literal and specific or vague. I chose literal and specific for this one.

Missing

Arabella Figg smiled and waved as the Scotland Yard left her home. Pulling back her front window curtain, she watched as they all piled into cars and drove off. Sharing a glare at Number 4, she started pacing. Those dratted Dursleys had gone and done something with The-Boy-Who-Lived and those stupid Muggles wouldn't tell her where he was now. What was an old Squib to do? Oh what, oh what should she do?

Passing her fireplace for the umpteenth time, it dawned on her. Scooting her cats out of her way, she reached for an urn on her mantel. Taking a pinch of green powder, she threw it into her blazing fire which turned green when it came into contact. "Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster's office, Hogwarts, Scotland, emergency firecall," she said clearly into the fire.

A minute later, the head of an old man with a long, white beard and half moon spectacles appeared in her fire. "Ah! Hello, Arabella, my dear. How are you this…"

"He's gone, Albus," she interrupted.

"Gone," he said slowly. "Who's gone?"

"Harry Potter, sir. The Muggles have gone and placed him somewhere. They left on vacation, but never returned with him."

"Preposterous! My wards would have told me. As long as Harry is under the same roof as his blood relations, then the wards will remain silent, and they haven't made a peep. Perhaps you need a vacation, my dear. I can send Kingsley to…"

"No, Albus! You don't understand. The Muggle Scotland Yard was just here, asking questions about Harry! The whole neighborhood is up in arms over how the Dursley's are being charged with abuse of a child, abandonment, and lying to the law! The Dursley boy is off with his aunt while his parents are in the slammer awaiting trial in a week. That was all I could glean from the gossip and the Yard. I tried to get them to tell me where Harry is now, but they were tight lipped; something about confidential information."

Dumbledore had gone silent. If what Arabella said was true, then Harry Potter, the savior of the Wizarding World, was missing. Harry Potter, the Wizarding World's only hope for the future, was gone. He should have listened to Minerva, but there was no other place that was safe for the boy to go. Now his Muggle relatives had abandoned him, abused him even. Now, for the first time in a very long while, Albus Dumbledore had made a mistake, one he planed to fix. "Thank you, Arabella. I'll get the Order on this. Please, stay there and keep your eyes and ears open. With none of the family there, the place is open to rouge Deatheaters. I need you to alert the Order if you see anything suspicious."

"Understood, Headmaster. And please, find Harry."

Dumbledore nodded before cutting the connection. Steeling himself, he set about to do the one thing he hoped he wouldn't have to for a few more years to come: calling a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.

Within the hour, many of the Order's key members were assembled in his office. His professors were there first, naturally as they were still in the castle. Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, Potions Master, Severus Snape, and Charms Professor, Filius Flitwick, stood around his office. Severus spoke up as they awaited more members, his chin length, dark hair swaying slightly as he stepped up to Albus' desk, "Just what is this about, Headmaster? As must as I love grading dismal first year essays, I still have much work to do before the year starts again."

"Quite," McGonagall agreed from her place in a chair. "There are essays to be graded, schedules to be made, letters to be sent, and castle preparations to be seen to. If this meeting is of any importance other than a get together for old times' sake, then I must insist we be allowed back to our offices."

Flitwick seemed to be the only one to back the Headmaster up. "Come now, Minerva. I'm sure the Headmaster has a reason for all this. We just must be patient," he said in his squeaky voice.

The door opened admitting Rubeus Hagrid and Remus Lupin. "Hel'o there, 'Eadmaster Dumbledore, sir. I foun' Remus here as I was 'eading up," Hagrid said as he ducked through the door.

"I was in the area," Remus explained, "when I got your summons. It's not something too urgent, I hope," he asked as he looked at the faces assembled for some clue. He got nothing.

"I'm sorry, my friends," Dumbledore said, "but I'm afraid that something most urgent has come up. I wish for as many members of the Order be here before I present what the nature of the matter is. I'm afraid it shall affect us all." Severus' eyes narrowed in concern, though none saw it as his bangs hid his glare.

Eventually, Arthur and Molly Weasly arrived followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt a few minutes after. Just as Albus was about to start, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody appeared in a flourish, his magical eye swiveling to each face he saw. "Alright! Who needs their heads caved in now, eh? Not some Deatheater who thinks himself the next Dark Lord material, I hope," he declared as his wooden leg and cane made a hollow sound on the floor as he stepped in.

"Oh surely, Headmaster, that isn't why we're here, is it," Molly asked worriedly.

"Now, Sweetheart, let's let the Headmaster tell us what it is before we jump to conclusions," Arthur tried to calm his wife, though she didn't seem pacified.

"I hope this won't take long," Kingsley said aloud. "If I'm not back soon, the Aurors will get suspicious."

"My friends, please, I ask for your attention," Dumbledore started. The room quieted. "I'm afraid I have the most troubling of news, though I believe that we may be able to solve it. I just received word from Arabella Figg that…"

"Oh honestly, Headmaster," the potions master exclaimed. "Does Potter have a cold now? Perhaps he scraped his knee as he chased a bug."

"Severus!" Minerva chastised her colleague, surprised at his insensitivity. The rest of the group started frantically chattering, either to cut into Severus or to question the Headmaster about Harry.

"Silence!" All talk stopped. "Thank you," Dumbledore sighed. "I'm afraid this is far worse than a skinned knee, Severus. Harry Potter has gone missing," the room exploded, "due in part to his aunt and uncle." All eyes turned to the Headmaster as silence filled the room.

Slowly, Moody approached the desk. "What are you babbling about, man? His relatives, you say?"

"I'm afraid so. They are currently being held by the Muggle Scotland Yard on accounts of lying to the law, abandonment, and child abuse." Molly wept as Minerva gasped. Dark looks were adopted by the men in the room. Even the usually jolly Flitwick looked a fright.

His hands in fists though hidden in his robes, Severus asked, "Surely this is some kind of a joke?" Voices rose as they too started asking questions.

One voice rose above the rest. "Where is Harry!?" All eyes turned towards the resident werewolf. Remus repeated his question. "Headmaster, where is Harry?"

"I don't know, Remus. I simply don't know." Remus turned away distraught. All eyes turned back to the Headmaster.

"What do you mean you don't know," Kingsley asked. Molly continued to sob into her husband's shoulder.

"It is because I don't know where young Harry is that I called this meeting. We must find him and fast," Dumbledore explained.

"W'at abou' them wards you set up, Headmaster sir? Surely they woul' have told you," Hagrid reasoned.

"Sadly, the blood wards I set around the Dursley property, though running and working fine, have not made a sound. I'm afraid they will be useless in our search." Everyone started voicing a plan of action. Kingsley would go to the jail house and question the Dursleys under Veritaserum if need be. From there, Remus and Arthur would go and retrieve the missing wizard. Severus, between grading papers, was to make sure there were enough potions to help the boy for whatever state he might be in. Minerva would go and inform Madame Pomfrey to prep the hospital wing for the boy. Molly would contact and inform the rest of the Order members of the situation. Moody was to go through his contacts to see if any unsavory wizard had gotten a hold of Harry in case the boy could not be found.

As everyone chattered about their duties, only the Headmaster noticed when Severus slipped out of the room. He was furious. Even when dead, James Potter still made things hard for him through his son. Abuse? Absurd. The old Squib must have been hanging around the wrong grapevine with too much cat dander in the air. Albus had promised that the boy would be safe. He had promised. Now, Severus felt the tug of his Life Debt. He would go and find the boy and prove to the others in the room behind him that the boy was just fine. He was the bloody savior of the Wizarding World, for crying out loud, who had a loving family that pampered him. This was all a hoax, he was sure of it. But then, why did he have this strange feeling in his gut? He continued on back to his dungeons, intent on ignoring the alien feeling.

In a cave full of glass like rocks that reflected the light of a fiery torch on the wall, a pool off to the side, the goddess Calypso herself stared into a particularly large, flat, and smooth rock. Images of the panicking wizards could be seen within it. Smirking, she walked into the pool, dissolving into many crabs. The crabs sank into the water revealing the cave to be underwater, though it still held air like a bubble. Curious merfolk, knowing that something big was happening in the surface world, swam around the pillar of rock as the crabs made their way up the side of the cave to the surface where they reassembled as Tia. The island she stood on would be considered a mound of rock as it hardly reached a square quarter of a mile in size.

Standing on the flat rock, Tia started chanting. She would hide the young wizard from those that dared to interfere with her plans. Yes, when he was old enough, he would go to their school, but by then, well, by then the boy would not be so easily played into the magic world's web of lies and deception. The two pirate Lords she had appointed his guardians would help him become a force to be reckoned with as she had chosen him as the one to revive the old ways of her sea. He will become the next pirate Lord, King if he so wished. And no old wizard who didn't know better would interfere with her plans, she thought fiercely as she finished her chant, her eyes gazing at the crescent moon.

In his hospital bed, Harry tossed and turned, dragging the IV tube with him. He was so happy and excited. He had a family now, one that actually liked him. They were strange, yes, but he didn't care. Miss Anamaria, as he had learned her name, had grabbed him at the news of his pending adoption, smothering him in the crevice of her breasts, tears rolling down her eyes. The old man, Mr. Gibbs had laughed at the show his female ship mate was making as it was usually uncharacteristic of her. After she had been forced to let go by Captain Jack, his new guardian, fearing she would smother the boy to death before he could leave the hospital, and led away with a final kiss to his temple, the man, Mr. Norrington, had stepped up to him. He had given him a hard looked, then reached out and straightened his chin. Moving to Harry's side, he had placed a hand on his chest and on the small of his back, pushing his hands together, straightening his back. With a toe, he had nudged his feet together. Giving Harry another hard look, he had smiled and patted his head before walking out the door. Harry giggled at the memory. Will had given him a long hug and had stayed with him until evening, telling him stories of pirates and treasure. Captain Jack came back a while later and joined in with the story telling. As the sun started to make the sky red, Will had given him another hug before promising to be back in the morning. Captain Jack had stayed behind to put him to bed, promising more stories if he went to sleep. Now in bed, Harry couldn't sleep. Soon, he would have his own family. He knew things would be tough in the beginning, anything new was. But it would be worth it. He was just too excited to sleep.

The wind blew through his window, ruffling his hair. In it, he heard a woman's voice, chanting in a language he didn't know. A light caught his eye coming from his wooden chest under the covers. Jack had given him his pack and chest earlier that day. Deciding to make use of his chest, he had put his seashell in it while Dr. Casy gave him a checkup. Wanting to keep it with him, he had put it under the covers. Opening it to see where the strange light was coming from, Harry gapped in awe as the shell seemed to glow. Water fell from it, coating the bottom of the chest. Slowly, the water formed into small puddles. Studying them, Harry could see letters. Before he could make out what they spelled, the water suddenly burst with life. Coral, barnacles, starfish, and seaweed seemed to grow out of the water, all aglow with an otherworldly light. A few polyps opened, releasing a light mist that coated Harry. Suddenly sleepy, Harry closed the chest as though he had never seen the magical marvel as he lay his head on his pillow. Knowing that something important had just happened, but his mind too heavy to process it, Harry fell into a deep slumber.

Out on her rock, Calypso smiled.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: AH! I personally love this chapter. It was so much fun writing Calypso's lines.

To GenkaiFan: Hector? As in Barbossa? He's dead now. I mentioned sometime in the beginning that he fell and died while racing for the Fountain of Youth. As for your other questions, you'll just have to wait and see, savvy?

To Lady Prince: I would still love to hear your ideas! I could always put in a plot twist to turn Calypso's true intentions around, you know. And I didn't ask my reviewer because, well, I didn't think to do so. Hehe. Enjoy the chapter.

To the-dreamer4: Thank you again for catching that horrid thing with Tonks in the last chapter. I swear, I thought her older. Anywho, I've got plans for Severus. Oh yes, I have plans. Or, I will have plans once I think of them. I'm thinking something along the lines of a magical mentor. So I guess I already have plans. –shrug- As for the hiding, you'll see what Calypso has up her sleeve.

To Kurotsuchi Mayuri: Above and beyond you say? Oh! I wish I could have seen it! I saw it on Sunday so all of the cool people were already gone. –Goes off to pout.-

To egret: Yes, I was informed about Tonks in another review. It has since been changed in exclude Tonks entirely. Thank you though for your review and I hope I don't disappoint ya in the future.

To Funness: Ah, don't you worry about it. I did start to worry a little when I didn't get any review from ya, but eh, what can you do? I guess I didn't explain the shell and chest too well, huh? During Harry's checkup with Dr. Casy, he put his shell in his chest that had been returned to him via Jack. He kept the shell in the chest and under the covers to keep it safe. –Make note to rewrite when she gets around to it.- Hope that clears some things up.

Just a note to readers, I am not Anti-Dumbledore, but I'm not Pro either. If Dumbledore could defeat Grindelwald then surely he could take care of a few things like Quirrell and Lockhart, or at least not hire them. And he should be powerful enough to handle a giant snake, regardless if he could enter the Chamber or not. What I'm saying is that he should not have let a couple of pre-teens loose to handle such adult things. I see Quirrell and the snake as tests, not something Dumbledore had no control over. Therefore, for my story I shall be portraying a controlling Dumbledore, but one that has the Wizarding World's best intentions in mind.

Also, to those wondering about the crew of the Dutchman, I consider them as dead, therefore not alive, thus not needing air to survive.

Here Come the Wizards

Jack and Will sat on Harry's island later on the next afternoon. They were waiting for Mr. Gibbs to return with some supplies. As their first act of future guardianship, they had agreed on rebuilding the hut. Thankfully, both ships had a few people who had dabbled in carpentry in the past. At least, they had enough experience to rebuild a one bedroom hut. They were going to replace the wooden panels on all the floors and walls, add a tile counter in the kitchen, all windows would be replaced, and the plumbing would be updated. Figuring out what to do with the plumbing had been tricky as it was an island after all. Will and a portion of his crew had gone underwater below where the bridge used to be to try and find where the plumbing connected with the mainland or if the hut worked its own. They found a pipe on the sea floor that connected the island and mainland. After a bit of searching and chipping away barnacle and coral, someone had found a plumbing industry name on a panel. Knowing that the people who built the hut had to have a place to connect the pipes, they eventually found a crawlspace under the hut that led to a tunnel leading to the pipes. Turned out the place was also wired for electricity run under its own generator powered by the sea. Deciding to leave the main pipe alone as the sea life would act as a natural sealer, they went for upgrading the main plumbing and wiring new wires for the electricity. The rope bridge they would tackle last with wood leftover from their project.

Will relaxed on the beach, listening to the crews chatter about him, the hut a pile of wood behind them. He was surprised that so many had decided to help without him asking. Of course, the party they had started the night before at the news of Harry's pending adoption should have been a clue, but he was still surprised. Anamaria had asked just what there was about the boy that was unlikable. Will shuddered as he remembered the women gathering together to talk about Harry's furniture and wardrobe they would make and buy once the hut was up and running. Never get between women and shopping. He wondered if Harry would come out of the ordeal alive once the women got through with him. Casting his thoughts aside, he focused on the task of building when the supply dinghies landed. The first thing on the to-do list was the framing.

Kingsley left the Scotland Yard Jailhouse, his mood dashed. The Veritaserum had worked, but only to an extent. He hadn't been able to ask where the Potter boy was before he had to flee. His Notice-Me-Not spell worked on both Muggles and electronics, but people became suspicious when the two adults in question started acting strangely. Their inmates in adjoining cells had caused a ruckus over their weird behavior. He had decided to bail and try again later that night. Unfortunately, his nighttime questioning hadn't been as fulfilling as the first. The first thing out of his mouth had been where the boy was, but all Petunia had said was the island. What island? She continued to say the island. Kingsley didn't know what was wrong with the potion, but it had failed.

Severus wasn't too happy when Kingsley had reported it later that evening. He had made the potion himself. It should have been perfect. The man must have screwed it up somehow. "What do you mean the potion didn't work," he asked darkly. The usual four tables had been reduced to one for the resident professors and their guests. Remus had opted to stay in an inn at Hogsmead so as to stay close for news.

"Oh no, the potion worked alright. Asked the textbook questions when one does an interrogation with Veritaserum. When I got to the real question, however, the inmates started making a scene. They were rather freaked when the Dursleys started acting funny. Mind you, I would have done the same," Kingsley commented before he took a bite of his steak.

"At least we have something," Remus commented. "We now know he is on an island."

"Well that narrows the list all right," Severus retorted.

"Well," Kingsley continued, "I did go and visit the Muggle airport after my first attempt. That turned up better results. Amazing what info you can be privy to with the right transfigure spell. Any who, the port's records show they left for Haiti. At least now we know what area to look in. I also went and questioned the lawyer, Mr. Beckett. Nice bloke, really. Extremely worried about Potter. Apparently, there is an island off of Haiti that Petunia Dursley had been interested in just before this whole thing started. He said he couldn't give me an address as all of his files concerning the case had been confiscated. I didn't feel the need to question him further as he was so eager to help."

"Haiti it is then. I'll inform Arthur in the morning," Remus declared as he continued with his dinner.

"That's wonderful news," Madame Pomfery said. "That gives me a better chance of narrowing down what potions and spells I'll need."

"Indeed," Severus agreed, now calmer with the news of a general location. Mentally, he prepared what potions he would have to brew that night. "I wish to accompany the team that goes to retrieve Potter," he suddenly said.

"What ever for," Minerva asked surprised.

"There are a few potion ingredients I'll need from the islands that are better when freshly cut. Two birds with one stone."

"Capital idea, Severus," Dumbledore agreed. "When we have authorization for intercontinental travel, you, Remus, and Arthur shall Apparate to Haiti. I believe it's a small enough place to figure out where young Harry may be."

"Lovely," Severus said with a sneer.

"It was your idea," Remus reminded with a frown. Severus ignored him.

"By the way, Albus," Flitwick spoke up. "What do you plan to do with the boy once he is retrieved?"

Sadly, Dumbledore answered. "Once his relatives are out of jail, as I'm sure they will be with Vernon's business connections, Harry will go back to the Dursleys." Loud disbelief and protest met his announcement.

"You can't be serious, Albus," Minerva declared.

"Surely there is a wizarding family capable of taking the lad in," Kingsley reasoned.

"Please, Dumbledore sir. 'Arry shouldn' be forced bac' inta that 'ouse," Hagrid pleaded.

"You can not possibly expect those people to just take the boy in again," Remus exclaimed.

Waiting for the chatter to quiet down enough for him to be heard, Dumbledore continued. "I shall be placing stronger wards around the property to tell me if Harry is hurt in any way. When we retrieve the boy, he shall come to Hogwarts for healing before we return him to his relatives. However, his time in Hogwarts must be Obliviated from his memory I'm afraid. I fear early exposure to magic may expose him to some of the more unsavory effects of fame as the Ministry, as dull witted as they are, are sure to catch wind of this one way or another. I do not wish for him to gain a complex from it. Any Muggle authorities and bystanders in connection with the case shall need to be Obliviated as well." The people around the table quietly agreed with the Headmaster, too tired to really argue.

"Mr. Beckett?" In his law firm in London, Beckett was just about to leave for home.

Looking up from his briefcase, he answered his secretary, "Yes, Lara, what is it?"

"That man, Kingsley. Do you think he'll be back?"

"No, my dear. He shall not be back," he said with a smirk. His eyes shifted to the bare space on his bookshelf. "No, he most certainly won't be coming back." Happy to have filled his good deed quota for the day, he continued on his way home. "Fifteen dead men indeed," he mumbled under his breath.

In her hut in the marsh, Calypso smirked at what her seashells read. So, the wizards were coming to find the boy. Perfect. Things were starting to fall into place. She would go and visit her pirate captains when the sun rose. It was time to explain a few things to them before the wizards arrived.

The next day, there was much activity on Harry's island. "These planks need to go over there," Timber, as the crew called him on the Pearl, instructed. He had been one of the few who had experience in building. At the moment he was directing Pintel and Ragetti to a place for them to move a pile of planks that were in the way.

Picking up a plank and setting the middle of it over his shoulders, Pintel turned to ask Timber a question. Unfortunately, he had overestimated the length of the board. Timber was fortunate to duck low enough in time, but Ragetti who was surveying which plank was the best to pick up first was caught in the head by the swinging board. With a mighty 'oof' and a violent pitch forward, Ragetti dove headfirst into the pile of wood. Having finally learned his lesson, he had taken to wearing a patch over his wooden eye after an overly flamboyant Chinese cook had knocked it into a tub full of live electric eels. The shocks he had received as he fished his eye out were enough for him to claim enough with it and to make sure it wouldn't fall out again. Peeved that he had been knocked down, Ragetti ignored his pounding head and grabbed the closest plank he could grab. Sitting up, he swiped at Pintel's feet.

Pintel had felt something collide with his plank, but gave it no mind, wanting to know where to start setting them down. Regretting the decision, he suddenly felt something plow into his legs from behind. His knees buckling under him, he fell backwards with a startled shout, the plank flying up into the air from his hands. Quickly getting over his daze, Pintel opened his eyes in time to see the air born board falling towards him. "Uhoh." With no time to raise his hands, the flat of the board smacked him in the face.

"Serves ya righ'," Ragetti declared with a smirk, his shoulders slightly quacking in suppressed laughter.

Gingerly, Pintel lifted the board from his face and moved it aside. Slowly, he reached for his nose. Securing it between his forefinger and thumb, he pinched and jerked. A sharp crack was heard. "Ooowww," he wheezed. Timber banged his charts on his forehead at the sight.

As the three pirates dealt with the moving of the pile of planks, the rest of the crew had finished with the reinstallation of the plumbing. One of the girls on the Dutchman had a father who had been a plumber and had taken her on a few of his jobs all the way through to her high school years. Thanks to the help of others with building experience from the Dutchman and Pearl, the framework of the hut had been set up. All that was left was to wire the electricity and put up the floors, walls, ceiling, and roof. From there they would worry about the interior.

"Looking good, men, and women," Mr. Gibbs hastily added at the glares. "We're just about halfway through." Turning to the Will who was helping solder some wires together, Gibbs asked, "Wha'ya think, Turner?"

Stepping back from his wires to let the cool and looking at what the crew had accomplished already, Will had to say he was impressed. "Not bad for a bunch of seafaring pirates, if I do say so myself." Those around him chuckled at the joke. Will joined them until a shiver ran up his spine. Dread filled his bones. He knew this shiver. He only got it when she was near. Turning to look at Jack who had opted to work without his shirts, his tattoos glistening from sweat in the sun as he nailed some panels together, Will saw that he too had felt the chill as he was looking around wildly having stopped what he was doing. Will too looked around as he inched closer to his fellow captain. Suddenly, he saw a figure coming towards them, strolling down the beachfront.

Jerking an elbow into Jack's side, Will pointed with a nod towards the figure. Jack instantly dropped his hammer in surprise. His toe however got the last surprise as the dropped hammer landed on his foot. "Gha!" He hopped around on his uninjured foot, the suffering toe now in his hands. The crew had stilled to watch the captain jump around.

Tia Dalma had always been entertained by Jack Sparrow. This was not a moment that disappointed. Smiling smugly, she stepped up to the hut the pirates were working on. Running a hand over the sturdy frame, she was pleased. Her appointed guardians were taking their new job seriously. Turning to the still hopping captain and her ferryman, she smiled as she approached. "I'm 'appy ta see ya too, Jack Sparrow."

Grimacing, Jack gingerly set his foot back on land when his hopping turned to face her. "Tia, love! Wha' brings tha mighty Calypso out 'ere of all places?"

Ignoring Jack causing, causing him to pout, she turned to the captain of the Dutchman. "William. An' 'ow mi't you be doin'," she asked with a smile.

Keeping his expressions blank, but not forgetting his manners, he gave a curt nod to the goddess. "I'm afraid I can't say I'm well. Things have been stressful as of late. A boy seems to have suddenly fallen into Jack's and my care. Would you know anything of it," he inquired with just a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Amused at his slight show of defiance, Calypso smirked and answered. "W'y yes. I do know abou' tha boy. S'mater of fact, he be tha re'son I'm 'ere." All work had stopped to listen to the goddess. "Do yas believe in ma'gic?"

"Believe in magic," James asked incredulously. He had come to stand by Will incase things turned for the worse. One never knew when it came to this woman. "Of course we believe in magic. It is magic that allows most of us to be here today." A round of agreement sounded around the combined crew. The two captains stayed silent as they wait for the goddess to continue.

Calypso's smile widened showing her gums and yellow teeth. "Good, 'cause da boy ain't no normal mortal." The crew fell into silence. The raising sun cast shadows into the goddess' eyes, making her look menacing. "Dere be a wor'd, hidden fr'm normal bein's. A wor'd of ma'gic. Tha boy be fr'm a couple fr'm dis ma'gic wor'd, a witch an' wizard. Dis boy is deemed impor'ant to da ma'gic wor'd for reasons no' 'is own. W'en tha boy was barely a year old, an evil man by da name of Vold'mort murdered 'is par'nts b'for turning 'is wand on da boy. Da spell dat had killed so many before sudd'ly turned back on da caster, throwing 'is soul to da winds where it still be roamin'. Da ma'gic wor'd deemed da boy as its savior. Now, a pa'ty of wizards, belivin' da boy be da ma'gic wor'd's only 'ope of survival w'en da soul takes form ag'in, are now serchin' for da child, wantin' to put da boy back wif 'is livin' fam'ly so as ta keep an eye on 'im."

"Wha' do ya mean they see 'im as their only hope," Jack asked incredulously. "He's just a lad, not even tall 'nough ta reach the railing of a deck yet, and they expect him ta fight an evil magic person? Just w'at are they expecting him to do? Say abracadabra?"

Calypso smiled at the irony. "In a mat'a of speekin'. It is da 'hope of da leader of da pa'ty, Albus Dumb'edore, that the boy, aft'a livin' wif 'is aunt an' uncle, would be overjoyed at bein' taken inta da ma'gic wor'd enough ta be willin' to fight for them w'en da time comes."

"Let me get this straight," Will said as he stepped up. "Harry is a wizard that the magic world that is hidden from normal people has deemed Harry its savior for defeating an evil wizard who tried to kill him, but had his spell rebound off Harry, scattering the evil wizard's soul to the winds. Now this group, led by a man by the name of Albus Dumbledore, is searching for Harry, believing the soul to come back one day, wanting Harry to fight it again thinking him the only way to succeed and survive. Am I getting this right?" Calypso nodded.

"Well, how do we stop 'em from taking 'Arry," Anamaria posed.

"Ya don't," was the goddess' reply. She was met with disbelieving stares.

"What do ya mean we don't stop the scalawags, woman" Mr. Gibbs asked faintly.

"Ta keep da wizards 'appy and ta keep 'em frm causing trouble, ye must allow 'em ta take da boy. Dumb'edore will erase 'is mem'ry of 'is time away so as ta keep 'im frm knowin' of ma'gic until 'e is old 'nough to attend 'is ma'gic school. W'en he returns da boy to 'is fam'ly, he'll place powerful wards 'round da 'ouse. Belivin' in 'is ma'gic, Dumb'edore won't t'ink ta look in on da boy. Frm dere, well, ye may do w'at ya do best, yes?"

It took the pirates a while to figure what the goddess meant, but a few seconds later, Will spoke, "So, we allow the wizards to take Harry and erase his memory. He will place wards around the house, but will relay on them to alert him to anything amiss. And from there…"

"We can steal away with the lad," Jack finished catching on. "With tha papers, if anyone asks, 'Arry will be rightfully our charge. Only thing that could possibly be in our way would be tha magic people, but if they think 'Arry is still with those cads, they won't come looking for him again, savvy?"

"A brilliant plan," Gibbs agreed.

"What was this about a school now," James asked.

"Da ma'gic wor'd 'as several schools 'round da globe, but da one dat Dumb'edore controls, 'Ogwarts, is da one dat 'Arry must attend in seven years time. He must learn da ma'gic of da ma'gic wor'd in order ta defeat da evil soul 'e once banished."

"Wait, I though' that fighting the evil, dark, magic ghostie was a bad thing," Jack said confused, though his thoughts were reflected by his companions.

"Dere be a prophecy predictin' dat 'Arry shall be da one ta vanquish da evil once and fer all. It is da reason Dumb'edore 'as such interest in 'm."

Curious, Will asked, "And what is your interest in him?"

Now, Calypso smiled in joy, "Da boy shall be powerful w'en 'e reaches age. 'E shall fi' nicely as a Lord of my seas."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. Will, eyes wide, ventured, "Wait, you want us to raise him to be a pirate lord?"

"Aye. And w'at bet'a pirates den da two of ye?"

"Well, she's go' a point, mate," Jack consented.

Excitement ran through Will veins. Turning around he said, "Then what are we standing around here for? Let's get back to work."

Jack smirked as the crew turned back to what they were doing. Turning back to the goddess, Jack was surprised to find her gone. Looking towards the sea, he saw a crab make its way under the waves. He pivoted around to find Will looking out at the sea, a smile on his face. "Well that was interesting."

Will smirked. "Very interesting. What have we gotten ourselves into this time, my friend?"

"What is it tha' we usually get ourselves inta?" At Will's raised eyebrow, Jack answered his own question, his smirk showing off his gold teeth. "Trouble, mate."


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: Lot's of stuff happening to me lately, and I'm sure there will come a day when my updates won't come out as fast as a lot of you are now used to. I don't think this will be my last chapter for a while, but I am going to be cutting down on the updates. My mind needs to start focusing on other things now. So, on that note, I hope you all enjoy it.

To Funness: XP My own attention span isn't what it should be these days, so I suppose the last few chapters have been rather choppy. I do believe that Dumbledore purposely kept Harry away from magic so that Harry, once exposed to it, would love it enough to fight for it and to keep him from obtaining an ego that would get in the way of fighting Voldemort. It's like a game of chess with Dumbledore as the chess master. I've read several fics where Dumbledore is really a dark wizard in disguise and others where he is this fluffy, grandfather figure. I've decided to try and give a mix of both, though a lighter shade of gray. I included so many apostrophes in Calypso's lines on purpose to make the readers slow down. ;) I noticed that in the movies, Tia talks slowly when she gives speeches. I wanted readers to feel the same effect Tia gives in the movie. As for your answer for the wards, you'll have to read this chapter. Just a note though, I'm being specific on the ward effects.

To Senyor Fier Mensheir: You know, you just reminded me of a very important component needed in the story. I'll be sure to add it in a later chapter, but I'll say now that all pirate lords, excluding Jack, are now dead and that the Court hasn't held council for a very long time. I plan to keep the lord count at nine: the original eight plus Will as something akin to the Pirate Lord of the Dead. Hehe, I'm still working on it.

To the-dreamer4: Oh, is my grammar really that bad? I try not to, but sometimes Word changes things without my knowing, or I type something or…it's a mess. Thank you for the offer, though, and I'll let you know. I hope this chapter answers some of your questions. As for Mrs. Figg, I think I found a way to keep her nose out of things. It's watery and holds little weight, but I think it could work. I'm open to ideas though. As for Harry possibly getting an earring…-insert evil grin- we'll just have to see about that.

To Le Diablo Blanc2: I started the c2, so I think if you go to my profile, you should find it there. It's small though, but there are some good fics there. Just be wary of "A Pirates Life For Me" by Skye-Chan 12 unless you've an open mind. It's written really well and even though I stopped reading it at the absurdity of it, my curiosity made be go back and finish what was there.

Conspiracy

Harry's stint in the hospital was quickly coming to a close. All parties were franticly trying to finish what they were doing. Miss Writing was pushing the adoptions papers through processing. The pirate crews were trying to finish the interior of Harry's new home. The wizards were pushing to obtain Intercontinental Apparition permits. Harry was sitting in his bed coloring in a book about pirates from a flustered Mr. Gibbs.

Remus paced by a window that gave a good view of the Owlery from a tower in Hogwarts, awaiting the permits. He went over the plans in his head. The Dursleys had been released earlier than anticipated and a group of Order members had gone and Obliviated the Muggle Scotland Yard and the neighbors of Privet Drive. Mad-Eye had severely threatened the Dursleys as Dumbledore went about setting up the new wards. Remus had wanted another briefing on the wards. The Headmaster explained that the new wards would sound if Harry were to ever be hurt by the Dursleys. It only comforted Remus a little. Those connected to the Ministry had tried to keep it hush-hush, but somehow, the story had leaked. Thankfully, none of the Order members had been revealed. Hogwarts was being swamped daily by reporters. Together with Severus and Arthur, Remus was to sneak out of Hogwarts via a passage that he knew of from his school days, and return with Harry the same way. He had already talked to the owner of Honeydukes who was more than happy to help the wizards bypass the media. The three were to go to the Ministry, undetected with Severus' help, and then Apparate to Tortuga, Haiti and look for Harry with a locator spell. Severus had asked if the people on the island would need to be Obliviated, but the Headmaster had said that the island they were going to was merely a tourist trap. The people there were of no importance.

Remus started as the Headmaster walked into the room, a map in his hands of Haiti. Remus remembered the other night when they had chosen to search Tortuga first. It was a small island off of Haiti, which fit the lawyer's description, and it was a large tourist spot. Surely the Dursleys would have stuck with the crowd and gone there. "Headmaster," Remus said, worry in his voice, "What if we don't find him there?"

Dumbledore looked at his former student, his eyes sad as he answered, "Then we shall pray that he turns up. We shall continue to look. The way I see it, each place that Harry does not appear in is one place we know he is not at." Not at all assured, Remus continued pacing by the window, waiting for the permits.

"All together, now; heave!"

"Ho!"

"Heave!"

"Ho!"

"Excelent! Keep her steady, gents! Alright, nail her!" The crews working on Harry's home were finishing up with the roof. Just a few more nails, and the hut would be done. Tables, chairs, a desk, dresser, cabinets, and bookshelves had been built by those finished with their primary jobs. They also built a sailor's bed, but some thought the boy would like a hammock instead. They put in both. The women who chose Harry's new wardrobe were proud of themselves. Some of the previous fathers had gone and either bought or whittled Harry some new toys.

Will stood a way from the hut, observing their handiwork. He and Jack had already gone over how exactly they would raise the lad. They were still in the dark over how to help Harry with his magic, but everything else was decided. James had loudly made sure that Harry would not be separated from those his age, leading the two captains deciding to enroll him in a self-study program through the local primary school when he turned six. This would allow them to take Harry when they left port and still be a part of the main school when he was in town. Before then, they planed to teach Harry themselves aboard the Pearl and on the island. With the Dutchman's job, it wasn't safe for Harry to be aboard it for long. When Jack had announced to his crew that they would be sticking close to Tortuga for the next couple of years, he was met with no complaint. Jack himself was rather pleased with being tied down; it would give him more time to see more of how his Caribbean Sea had changed over the years instead of going after treasure halfway around the globe.

There was still one small detail that Will wasn't sure of just yet: Harry's memory. If the wizards were going to erase his memory, how could they bring him back without him being scared of them? His answer came in the form of a message in a bottle found on the beach, sent by Tia. All it said was to open the chest in front of Harry. What chest? He didn't know just yet, but he was sure to find out soon.

Dudley stood in the doorframe, watching his father clear out the second bedroom. Harry was coming home. Dudley smiled as he clutched his medallion. He hadn't liked staying with Aunt Margie. He had asked her when Harry was coming home, but she had started calling Aunt Lily names and berating him for not asking about his parents, the poor souls who were being wrongfully punished for being kind enough to keep his bastard of a cousin. Dudley didn't know it yet, but he had lost some respect for his parents that day on the island. Oh well. As long as Harry was coming home, he was happy.

Severus stood at the Intercontinental Apparation platform, his permit in hand. Beside him stood Lupin and Weasley. He was anxious to get this trip done and over with. At the signal of the platform operator, all three disappeared with a crack. They reappeared again on a similar platform. "Welcome to Haiti, gentlemen," a new platform operator greeted. Not paying him any mind, Severus stalked towards the exit marked Tortuga, intent on finding the boy they were there to look for. Arthur and Remus jogged to catch up.

Sara believed in magic. All Tortuga citizens who believed in the stories of the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman believed in magic. So when Mr. Norrington had come to her office through directions given to him by Dr. Casy, she wasn't all that surprised when he explained what was happening on his captain's behalf. She had quickly gotten over her shock enough to double check that the adoption papers were correct and being processed as Mr. Norrington finished his tale. She wanted no kinks to be in the pirates' plans, and she didn't want any kink to come from her. Satisfied that all of the papers were correct and going through, final results supposedly being delivered to her desk in an hour, she informed the first mate, "All is going smoothly on this end. The official documents should be on my desk in an hour, but when they say an hour, they mean about three. If you would have both Captain Sparrow and Captain Turner be at Harry's hospital room in say four hours, I'll bring the documents and everything should be finalized there. I shall stay out of the way until Harry is back, but I must tell you now, I don't like this plan. I can see the reason behind it, but my social worker instincts are telling me to put up a stink. I realize that this is way out of my league, but I still don't like it."

"Believe me, I understand your worry, Miss Writing. A portion of the crew and I do not like it at all either. However, taking into consideration the circumstances surrounding Harry, this will probably be the best way to deal with it."

Sara nodded in strained understanding. "I wish you luck, for Harry's sake." Nodding his thanks, James stood and left.

"This place is bigger than I thought," Remus commented as he took in the sights of Tortuga. In some places he could see where the people had rebuilt or remodeled and where others had maintained an old fashioned feel to their establishment.

"Hotter too," Arthur commented as he wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. "I don't know how you can stand it, Snape." Indeed, Severus was dressed completely in black which won several looks from both tourists and locals alike.

Severus paid the comment no mind, focused on finding the boy. He was looking for a secluded place to perform his locator spell. "Do you have the item we'll need for the spell," he asked directing himself towards Remus.

Reaching into a bag, Remus pulled out a stuffed toy stag. It had been Harry's before the attack on Halloween. When Remus had gone to see the place for himself that night, he had been surprised to see that the toy had survived the destruction of the house. Hoping to see Harry, he had kept if safe. "Yes, it's right here."

"Good. Let's get out of view. Last thing we need is a mob following us," Severus said as he turned down an alley. Remus and Arthur followed after the impatient Potions Master.

A boy who had been watching the strange strangers suddenly dashed for the beach. Running over benches and rocks with his bare feet and dodging people, he came to a small sand dune. Picking up a cut palm branch off the ground, he turned towards a cliff in view of the dune and started waving it overhead. Another boy on the cliff saw it and stood. Taking his own palm branch, he turned towards a windmill and started waving it. Two girls on the roof of the mill in turn picked up their own palm branch, each turning in opposite directions towards the hospital and where the Dutchman was anchored and started waving. In each direction, another would pick up their own palms and continue the cycle. On the Dutchman, a member in the crow's nest hollered down to the people on deck, "Wizards ho!"

On deck, Mr. Gibbs smiled. "Show time. Brilliant idea of Turner's ta ask tha locals ter warn us."

"Indeed," James agreed, excitement and worry coursing through him.

In Harry's hospital room, Dr. Casy was giving Harry a final check over. Jack and Will had just arrived as he was finishing taking Harry's temperature. "Everything checks out. He isn't quite at the nutritional level I would like him to be, but that takes more time than I'm sure we have. As soon as Miss Writing arrives, he's all yours, gentlemen."

A sailor from the Pearl entered the room with a knock. "I'm sorry ta interrupt, sirs, but we just caught sight of the signal. The wizards are on their way. Your orders?" Dr. Casy became nervous. Having been already briefed on the situation, he was already planning on having Harry back in his care for a checkup when the pirates returned with Harry.

Will and Jack shared a look before Jack ordered, "I wan' everyone out o' sight. We don' know wha' these scalawags are capable of yet, sos I don' want anyone ta confront them."

"Aye, Captain," the sailor said as he went to round up his fellow sailors scattered around the hospital floors, dodging Sara as he went.

"What's all the rushing about," she asked as she entered the room, documents in hand.

Will answered, "Our lookouts spotted some odd characters in town. We believe them to be the wizards we were warned about." He glanced over to Jack who sat on Harry's bedside. Harry was showing Jack his chest.

"Looks like I got here in time then, yes? All I need you two to do is sign your names in a few places, and we'll be all set."

"Aye, all set," Jack murmured absently. "May I hold yer chest there, 'Arry? I jus' wanna make sure there are no dings in it, aye?" Happy to share, Harry handed over his treasure chest. Flipping the latch, Jack opened the lid slightly while Harry's attention was on Dr. Casy who was removing his IV. In the small wedge of space, light and the sound of waves emerged from the chest. Quickly snapping the chest closed and flipping the switch down, he looked quickly around to see if anyone had noticed. Everyone was paying attention to what they were doing. "'Arry, love," he called to gain the boy's attention. "Might I 'old on to yer chest, just for a bit? I promise ta keep it safe."

Not sure if he was willing to part with his treasure just yet, Harry ventured, "Promise?"

"Aye, love. Cross my 'eart."

"Alright. Just as long as you keep it safe."

"Tha' a lad," Jack praised as he ruffled his hair. Harry giggled as he tried to push his hands away to no avail.

"Jack," Will called. "You'll need to sign this quickly," he said as he handed his mate a pen.

"Right, right. Just poin' ta where I sign," he said as he took the pen and turned to the documents, Harry's chest secure under his free arm.

As Jack signed, Will turned to Harry who was putting on an outfit that Anamaria had sent with them. "Harry, there's something we need to tell you." Harry looked at Will, paying attention. "Before we can take you home with us, I'm afraid there are some men coming to take you elsewhere. Don't worry though," he added as he saw panic start to form in Harry's green eyes. Idly, Will noted that they seemed brighter than before. "Jack, the crew, and I will come to get you soon. I promise. But, there is something you have to promise me, alright?" Harry nodded. "I need you to promise not to mention to anyone about Jack, the crew, me, or anything about you being adopted, alright? Reason being is because they won't believe you. It would be best if you just did as they said and stayed quiet, alright."

"Aye, love. When in this type of situation, it'd be best ta stay quiet. Loose lips sink ships, as tha sayin' goes," Jack commented as he knelt beside the bed. "You can answer any question they ask, 'course, but jus' don' mention anythin' about us as Daddy Will said, savvy?"

A strange look came over Will's face, "Daddy Will?" Jack raised his brows pointedly. Cocking his head to the side, Will consented to the name. "Do you understand, Harry," he continued.

After a moment, Harry said, "I should stay quite, but I should talk, and I can't mention anything about you two or the others. What about Miss Sara and Dr. Casy?"

After a moment's thought, Sara answered, "Perhaps it'd be best if you don't mention me, either. Or you could say that I was the one who found you and brought you here?"

"Yes," Jack agreed. "Say tha' Miss Writing found ya and brought ya to tha hospital." Harry nodded.

The sailor who previously warned of the coming wizard returned at the doorway. "Wizards spotted coming ta the lobby entrance fast. Three of them. I'm sorry, sirs, but I insist we go."

"Go on, we'll catch up," Will insisted.

The sailor nodded. "Good luck, sirs," he offered as he left.

Will leaned over, giving Harry a hug. "Don't worry. Everything will work out," he promised into Harry's ear.

Jack too gave Harry a hug after Will had stood. "What he said. An' don' you worry abou' your chest. I'll keep it safe for ya, alrigh'?" Harry nodded in his embrace. "That a lad." Releasing Harry, Jack quickly stalked up to Will who was swiftly looking from side to side out the door. With a last look at Harry, they quickly walked out. Harry waved sadly goodbye, his coloring book and box of crayons in his hands.

Will gave Jack a curious look. "Why exactly did you take Harry's chest?"

"Tell ya later, mate. But first, how are we ta do this without bein' seen by tha magic folk?" Jack's question had been good as both were dressed in their normal attire.

"We should avoid the elevators," Will stated, "It's too easy to be caught in them. Perhaps the old hide-and-seek approach?"

"Ah yes. Tha' always a good one," Jack agreed as he pressed himself flush on the wall before glancing around the corner, Will behind him. Seeing nothing, Jack motioned Will to advance down the hall. Will quickly stalked to the next corner, crouching as he approached. The other nurses and doctors who had gotten wind of something going down, carefully avoided looking at the two sneaking pirates. The whole island seemed to be in on this little endeavor it seemed to Jack as he quickly joined Will in his crouch. At Will's signal, he hurried to the next corner. When it came to the stairs, both put caution to the wind and sped down before continuing their pattern.

Eventually, Jack caught sight of three odd looking fellows behind a corner, one holding a stick pointed out and dressed completely in black. Motioning to Will to hide, Jack dove into a dirty laundry basket while Will quickly hid in an open custodian's closet near by. None of them were talking, but Jack tensed when the one in the lead suddenly stopped. As though knowing someone was there, the one in black started scouring the halls. Jack started to feel panic bubble in him when, through a small hole in the sack holding the laundry that allowed him to see but not be seen, the man's eyes seemed to fall on his hiding spot.

The bubble seemed to grow thinner as the man approached, his hand reaching out to lift the top layers of laundry. "Severus, what are you doing?"

"Not now, Lupin," the man now identified as Severus growled at this Lupin as he continued to advance.

Suddenly, there came a clamor from the closet Will had hidden in. From it stumbled a long, dark haired man dressed in messy custodian clothes. His cheeks were red and his gait wobbly as though drunk, but it could have been the bucket stuck to his rubber booted foot. "A'low dere!" Apparently, the janitor had too much to drink. "Ya 'ere fer da pa'ty too," the drunk man asked as he stumbled towards the three wizards, the bucket making a racket and drawing attention as he wobbled.

Severus sneered at the man as his nose caught a whiff of bleach, chloride, and a hint of alcohol coming from the man who suddenly threw an arm over his shoulders. Behind him, he could hear his associates snickering at his plight. "No, we most certainly are not. Now, if you would excuse me," he dismissed the obvious drunk who he now saw carrying a hairy mop. The man wobbled and spun, his limbs flying when Severus almost violently shook the man's arm off his person as he stalked off, the two snickering men following him.

"Really," the drunk asked in wonder. "Tha' a shame," he slurred, securing himself on his toes and leaning heavily on the mop, handle down. "'Cause Garry and me 'ere were jus' abou' ta go, righ' Garry," the man addressed the mop. The three men quickened their pace. Listening for the sounds of their feet and laughter to fade, the drunk straightened before removing the bucket from his foot, a smug smirk on his face.

Jack rose from his hiding place, most of the laundry falling from him as he clapped. "Bravo! Bravo! Encore! Encore!" Will gave an exaggerated bow before returning to the closet to change back. Jack removed a sock stuck in his hat as he waited.

As they strolled to the exit, not having to hide anymore, Jack commented, "I didn' know you could act drunk so well, mate."

Will smiled innocently as he slapped a firm hand on Jack's shoulder.  
"I had a wonderful teacher." Still smiling innocently, Will walked through the lobby doors, leaving Jack wondering who the teacher could be.

"Oi! I take tha' as a complement!" Jack exclaimed as he raced after Will.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Notes: Alright, I didn't mean to not update for as long as I did. And I'm sorry to say that this is probably going to be my last post, for a while at least. My nerves are being rather nicely shot at the moment. I leave on Tuesday on a plane for Florida at –checks ticket- 10:30 PST in the morning, and it's a two hour drive from my home to the airport. From there, I won't arrive in Florida until 9:00 EST. I'm planning on hand writing the next chapter on the plane and during my overlay, but we'll see. I'll be going it alone and I'm nervous at it is. So, ya. Enjoy the chapter.

To GenkaiFan: You know, that's not a bad idea. I'll try that this chapter. Tell me what you think, ya?

To the-dreamer4: Oh, don't worry about the grammar thing. I know what you mean. The art of English, despite it being my first and only language, was never my best subject; just below History as my worst. :) I'm glad you liked the bit with Dumbledore writing off the people of Tortuga. I figure that the tourist thing is their biggest advantage, no? Hehe, the drunk Will act was just something that I came up with at the top of my head. I think it fits because Will has been hanging around Jack for a good while now and one would think he'd pick up a few things.

To Wolf Sage: As I've stated previously, I am a yaoi/slash fan. However, I have no plans on adding any into this story any time soon. I have trouble writing romance and what not. So don't worry, all relationships between guys will remain strictly "friends" except for Harry and Draco if I see fit to try and add it in.

To Mr. Snuffles: No worries, mate. I like yaoi/slash, but I will say that the ones you sent were just a tad over the top for me. To each their own, you know?

To LostGryffindorFoundSlyther: Oh good! I thought you wouldn't read it any more. I know I said that Harry wouldn't be put back with the Dursleys, but for my plot to go as I wanted, I found that he would have to, but only for a little while. I promise. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy.

To Funness: Hehe. I believe that Dumbledore and Jack have sort of the same frame of mind, only different. They see things in ways that others don't. Look at Jack at the map in World's End. My excuse for Dumbledore is that he's 150 years old; anyone that old has to be at least a little bit eccentric. I'd love to see your fanfiction made into a movie! You're right, writing a movie is difficult, but seeing it live would be so cool. –sigh- If only, huh?

Back Again

"Yes? My I help you gentlemen," the head nurse inquired as three men stepped up to her post. One was dressed completely in black with something that looked like a cloak, another was in a grungy business suit, and the last one, the red head, was in an old shirt and vest. These were not your usually visitors.

"Yes," the one in the suit replied. "My name is Remus Lupin. My associates and I are looking for a young boy we believe to be here. His name is Harry Potter."

"One moment please." So, these were the people everyone was talking about. After pretending to search for him in her files, she turned to the overhead speaker. "Dr. Casy, to nurses' station, please. Dr. Casy to nurses' station, please." Usually they didn't call for a doctor to come to the nurses' station, but that was the signal Dr. Casy had told all nurses on duty to give him. "Dr. Casy shall be with you shortly. Please, have a seat."

"Well, at least we know he's here," Arthur said as he sat in a chair by the wall.

"And just why are we waiting for a doctor when we could just as easily take him and be done with it?"

"Now, Severus," Remus tried to reason, "If we did that, who knows what kind of ruckus it would cause. Besides, if we talk to this Dr. Casy, I'm sure he could give us an idea on how to help him when we get back to Hogwarts. You know Pomfrey would soon as beam you over the head than check Harry herself for ailments if she knew we found him in a hospital, but had not talked to his doctor."

Rather than concede defeat, Severus leaned on a wall, checking his locator charm every now and again. If he was correct, as he usually was, then the boy would be in the room down the hall.

About five minutes later, Dr. Casy strolled down the hall from Harry's room where he was checking one last time over Harry's vitals. Hurrying down the room, he spotted three strange characters, as the pirate who had warned them had said, sitting and waiting. To keep appearances, he went to the nurses' station first. The nurse politely pointed to the three. Turning to them he walked up and offered his hand. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Casy. I'm Harry Potter's primary during his stay here. And you are?"

"Remus Lupin, doctor," Remus said as he stood and shook the doctor's hand. "These are my associates, Arthur Weasley, and Severus Snape. We're here to take Harry home if he is ready."

After shaking hands with Weasley and attempting to with Snape, though the man stayed in his spot by the wall, Dr. Casy asked, "And what is your relationship with the patient in question? I'm afraid I can not release a minor to just anyone." He knew what he was doing. He knew that it was probably a bad idea to question these wizards. After informing the hospital president, he had given him permission to release Harry into the hands of these people. However, he still had to go through protocol to make it look authentic.

"Understandable," Lupin agreed. "I was a close friend to Harry's late father, James Potter. I was informed just recently on what has happened to him."

"Ah, James Potter. Yes, our background check found his father. Interesting fellow. It's as if he appeared out of no where just to marry Harry's mother. Almost like magic if I do say so myself," he added. He inwardly grinned when he saw the three tense.

"Yes, like magic," Snape mumbled.

"May we see Harry now," Weasley asked.

"Of course. I was just about to go fetch his release papers. Children's social services were to take him from there, but this is better. I'll take you to him and then have you sign his release forms," Dr. Casy said as he headed back to Harry's room. "Harry, you've got some visitors."

The wizards stopped in the door as they caught sight of Harry on his bed, coloring in his book. If not for the long hair and slight tan, he looked just like a younger version of James Potter. Gathering his courage, Remus stepped in. "Hello there, Harry. My how you've grown," he states as he knelt at Harry's bedside. Harry had stopped coloring to look at this new man. "The last time I saw you, you could hardly walk, and now look at you. Well, my name is Remus. I was a good friend of your parents. My friends and I are here to take you home, alright?"

Harry looked at this strange man and his strange friends. He remembered what Will and Captain Jack had told him. He was to go with these people for a while until they came for him. Harry nodded uncertainly.

"Right then," the man in black said in a gruff voice. "Let's be going then," he ordered as he started walking out the door only to be stopped by Dr. Casy holding some papers.

"Harry will be able to go as soon as you fill out some papers here. Then he's all yours."

Ready to snarl, Severus snatched up the papers and handed them to Weasley to fill out. Severus wanted off this island. Boy-Who-Lived and ingredient items be damned, the place had him all edgy. There was something about this place that just screamed danger.

oOoOo

Once the papers were filled out and signed, Remus took Harry into his arms and the four started for the exit. With his coloring supplies in hand, Harry slowly waved back to Dr. Casy and Miss Sara who had been sitting and watching the whole exchange from behind the nurses' station. Harry looked around as he was carried to wherever it was they were going. He watched all of the people moving around in a quick fashion, each person with their own destination in mind. He watched the kids dodge and weave their way through the throngs of the crowd. It looked like fun. Fishermen called out their catch of the day to the crowd of people, dogs barked, women scolded their children for running into someone, cars honked to get through, bicycle bells rang, children laughed, a familiar monkey screeched from the treetops, and the place was so full of life. Harry didn't want to leave.

All too soon, the men he was with went into a building. He didn't pay attention to any of what was going on or what was being said. All he knew is that he was suddenly being sucked up into something, and he didn't like it. After what seemed like forever, the horrid feeling stopped and Harry thought for a second that he might throw up. The man, Remus, was rubbing soothing circles over his back so the felling quickly went away. Thankfully, he still had his book and crayons with him. Looking around, Harry saw that the place was almost the same as the building they entered before, only with different people in it.

When they exited the building, Harry could only gape at what he saw. This was not the town full of life and color they had just left. It was foggy, lifeless and gray. "Welcome home, Harry," Remus said when he noticed Harry looking around. Home? This was England? Harry didn't want to be in England anymore. He wanted to go back to the color and life. There were no trees here and all of the buildings were so tall, Harry thought he would never be able to see the top of them. So that he didn't have to see any of it, he buried his face into Remus' shoulder. The three wizards took his actions for relief.

Snorting, Severus started leading their way back to the train station so they may go back to Hogsmead and return to Hogwarts. A sense of relief had overcome Severus when he had seen the boy in the hospital bed. Why, he didn't know. Severus sat and ignored the others on the train when Harry started showing Lupin and Weasley his coloring book that a woman, Sara, had given him.

Harry didn't know why these strange men thought it alright to walk through a stone pillar, but apparently it was, though he wasn't going to try it himself any time in the future. The train they were on was neat and the landscape around them was so green. Arthur and Remus were really nice people, and he did like all of the green grass, and the lake looked so calm, nothing like the sea, but he still wanted to go back. He would do as he was told though, keeping in mind that Will and Captain Jack would be for him soon. He didn't know when, but he had fallen asleep along the way, the rock of train lulling him into slumber.

When Harry awoke next, it was to Remus' prodding. Opening his eyes, before him was a castle. Not just any castle though. It was a very large castle, like the ones on TV. Keeping his eyes glued to the huge castle, Harry held onto Remus as they walked up to the large, wooden double doors. Inside was a woman who startled Harry.

"About time you three got here. I'm so glad you were able to find Harry, but you should know better than to let a young boy his age out so late at night. To the hospital wing, all of you," the woman said as she shooed them down the hall. Looking out a window, it was indeed night time.

"Forgive us, Madame Pomfery, but we were held up by Harry's doctor in the hospital. He gave us a list of things we should be watching out for," Arthur tried to appease the resident medi-witch as he handed a piece of paper to her. Looking it over, she nodded and continued her way towards the hospital wing, reading the list as she went.

Harry held tightly to Remus. As he looked around the castle, he noticed a few things that were not something he expected. For instance, the pictures moved, and if he could strain his ears more, he was sure they were talking to each other. His favorite was the life sized giraffe that ducked down as though to see him. He also noticed that the suits of armor seemed to fidget. Small clinks could be heard as they moved. Looking down another hall way as they passed, Harry could have sworn that he saw a staircase move. There was also this feel that Harry got from this place. It was pleasant, something he would have liked to greet if he could. It was like he was being watched. By what, he didn't know, but he got no feeling that it was dangerous. This women they were following though was dangerous if how the gruff man in black seemed to cower before her.

All too soon for Harry's liking, he was having a time looking around, they entered a room with several beds lined up against the walls. Remus set Harry down on one of them before letting the witch in to inspect him. "Hello there Harry. I'm Madame Pomfrey and I'm the school's resident medi-witch. A nurse if you will. I'm going to be checking your vitals real quick and see what needs fixing," she explained as she pulled out a stick. So, they were in a school. Why was he in a school? Harry watched intently as the witch nurse moved her stick over his body. It must have been a wand. You can't have a witch without a wand. But why was she calling herself a witch? Uncle Vernon had told him that magic didn't exist.

As Madame Pomfrey went about gathering bottles, an old man with a long beard entered the room. The man turned to Harry and smiled, his eyes seeming to twinkle in the light. Slowly, he approached Harry's bedside and softly said, "We meet again, Harry. Last time I saw you, you were but a babe. My name is Albus Dumbledore. I know Dumbledore is a mouthful, so why don't you call me Albus, hm?" At Harry's nod, he continued. "I'd like to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am its Headmaster. I'm sure you have some questions, yes?"

Not knowing if any ships would sink, Harry quietly ventured to say, "Magic?"

Smiling kindly, Dumbledore answered, "Yes, my dear boy. This is a school that teaches young witches and wizards, like yourself, how to control and use their magic. You, however, are a bit young yet to be starting your education here."

Curious and confused, Harry asked, "Then why am I here, mister Albus sir? And what do you mean I'm like the other witches and wizards?"

"You are like the other witches and wizards because you are a wizard your self. Your mother and father both attended this very school. Why, I'd bet all of my lemon drops that your father sat in the very bed you are now. When they had you, there was no doubt that you would be magical as well." Dumbledore paused to allow the boy time to process. Continuing, he said, "As for why you are here, we brought you here for healing. Out resident medi-witch is quite skilled in her craft," he assured as he turned to Madame Pomfrey, a bottle in her hands.

"I might be skilled, Albus," she started, "But I'm no miracle worker. The doctor who took care of him knew what he was doing. All the boy needs is a good Nutritional Supplement Potion and he'll be as right as rain. However, the scars on his back I can not heal," she stated, ice laced in her voice directed towards the Headmaster.

Startled, some of the sparkle seemed to leave Dumbledore's eyes. "Scars?"

"Yes, scars." The four wizards in the room had her full attention. "There are several scars all down his back, all varying in size. If the reports are true, then they all came from that, from that, man. I still do not know how you can trust him with Harry again. If he did this once, than lord knows he'll do it again," she declared with a huff.

Harry almost choked on his potion he was drinking. "Again? I'm going back to the Dursleys'," he asked, panic and fear easily seen in his dulling green eyes as his body started to shake.

Surprised at Harry's response, Dumbledore slowly said, "Yes, Harry. You are to go back to the Dursleys', but…" He never got to finish as Harry started thrashing and screaming.

"No! I don't want to go back! I wanna go back to Dr. Casy and Miss Writing! I wanna be back with the monkey! I don't want to go back there! Not there! Not there! Not there! I want my island! I want Will and Captain Ja…"

The three younger wizards quickly sprang into action when the boy had started flailing, holding his arms and legs down. Spare papers, a few chairs, and some medical books started to float in the air. The candles on the desk flared and the stained glass windows started shaking ominously. A quick Stupefy and a slowly administered Drought of Peace, Harry was quieted and asleep, the floating items fell, the flames returned to normal, and the windows stopped shaking. All eyes turned towards the Headmaster, his eyes holding no shine to them. "…but I'm afraid you will never remember any of this," he said sadly, finishing his sentence. Raising his want, he slowly pointed it at the knocked out boy on the bed. Quietly, he mumbled, "Obliviate."

oOoOo

Harry slowly opened his eyes. This wasn't his cupboard. This was the second guest room, the one beside Dudley's room. How did he get here? In a panic, Harry sprung from the bed he was in, ready to quietly dash back down to his cupboard before his aunt or uncle found him. Before he could so much as swing his legs around to the side, his door flew open. His whole body had tensed until he was suddenly tackled by his cousin.

Dudley was so happy. A strange man in black had shown up at the door with his sleeping cousin in hand. Though the man had handed Harry to his dad, he looked as though he were about to snatch him right back. The man in black had quickly left, but Dudley didn't care. Harry was back. Harry was now sleeping in the room right next to him. All was well in the world. Dudley had waited for Harry to wake up, peeking into his room through a crack in the door, before pouncing on him. "Welcome home, Harry!"

Harry blinked owlishly. "Home? But I've been home."

Dudley frowned, but instantly smiled again. "Nope. You just got home last night! You were gone for such a long time, I thought you'd never be back. Hey! Look, I kept your coin safe. See?" Dudley sat up and dug into his shirt, revealing the medallion Harry had given him.

Harry was past confused. "My coin? When did I give you that?"

Dudley's face fell. "You don't remember?" Harry shook his head. "Oh. Oh well. That's alright. I'm sure you'll remember eventually. Now come on! Mum has breakfast waiting for us," he exclaimed as he rushed out the room.

Harry again tensed when Dudley mentioned breakfast. It was his job to prepare breakfast. But wait. Did Dudley say that Aunt Petunia had breakfast all ready? Finding some clothes, Harry quietly slipped down stair, nimbly jumping over the squeaky last step. Peering into the kitchen, there was his place at the table, a large portion of eggs and bacon on it.

Seeing his nephew over his newspaper, Vernon reigned in his anger and tried not to bark, "Well? Don't just stand there all day, boy. Eat before it gets cold." He went back to his newspaper.

Still confused, Harry silently settled into his chair and started to eat the eggs and bacon. When he was done, he thanked his aunt who had joined them for the meal and that it was good, resulting a surprised look from her, before he picked up his dishes. Taking them to the sink, he rinsed them before putting them in the dishwasher. Seeing that his relatives were not done yet, Harry decided to go get a head start on the garden.

Petunia panicked when she saw Harry head for the front yard. Screeching, she said, "Where do you think you're going?" She didn't want any of the neighbors to see him.

Harry's confusion seemed to double as time went on. "I'm going to go tend to the garden."

"No, you're going to stay in the house. Understand?" Harry nodded before he headed for the vacuum. "What are you doing now," Petunia asked as Harry started to set it up.

"I'm going to vacuum."

Petunia panicked again. Surely the neighbors would hear it but would see the three of them sitting around the table. "No, you are not. You are going to go back to your room, understood?" Harry nodded and went for his cupboard. "No, the room you were in. Go on, back up with you."

Harry wasn't sure what was going on. He was positive he had gone to sleep in his cupboard the other night. His relatives were acting strange too. What did Dudley mean that he was gone for a long time. Maybe he had that thing were people lost their memory. Harry panicked at the thought. To calm himself, he reached for his seashell. To his horror, he found that it wasn't around his neck. Panicking even more, he set to search the room. He found all of his hold hand-me-downs, some socks, a book he'd like to read, and several odds and ends, but no seashell. Harry sat in the middle of the bed, his back leaning on the wall. He buried his head into his arm that surrounded his knees pulled up to his chest. "I want my seashell."


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: You know, I've discovered that one does not get a lot of inspiration when one is 30,000 feet above sea level. I've also discovered that typing on a laptop is way different from typing on my lovely keyboard ; ; oh how I'm going to miss my baby!

I'm typing this up in my hotel room, waiting for breakfast, and I'll finish it some time tonight. Don't know when I'll get this posted, but to all who read this, thank you for your patients. I know the wait was long, and I'm sad to say that they wait times may get longer. I'll try my best not to disappoint.

Here is what I was able to get while on the plane. The rest is afterwards.

- Starting to, I think, get closer to my first stop. I'm writing on the plane as I…write. Enjoy.

- GA! I've been downgraded! I miss my Comcast highspeed. I was told they'd have wireless here, but no. Now I'm bumming a connection from one of the girls in another apartment! And I now have to set my laptop up for Ethernet! So ya, fun, fun day. So, just another reason I may not be able to update a lot. I may not be able to update at all for six months. …I want to cry.

- Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy. Sorry if it seems rushed, my mind isn't working real well at the moment, but I wanted to get this out. Enjoy.

To A new dreamer: Thanks for the advise. The sandals I wore were great for the trip. I did pack a change of shirts, but thankfully, I didn't lose my luggage. I was only able to get a window seat on my first flight. My second one I had an aisle seat. Yuck. Hehe. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

To all readers: I am so sorry about the wait! As I've said, I've been very busy getting to Florida and settling into a dorm. It's no fun. Again, sorry if things seem rushed or if people seem out of character.

Return

Harry stayed in his room for the rest of the day. He was very confused. He couldn't go out and he couldn't do chores. His relatives would stop him. Dudley was the only one happy to see Harry. He had stopped his past bullying, he was so glad that his cousin was back. He made Harry more confused, however, with the story of Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon leaving him on an island. And the gold coin around his neck? It had come from him? Harry didn't remember ever getting a gold coin such as that. As a matter of fact, Harry didn't remember much from the last week. He only remembered something yellow and sweet.

Harry wasn't too concerned about his lost week. He was more concerned about his missing seashell. He had looked under the bed, in the covers, in the closet, and had even ventured and braved the strange looks his aunt and uncle gave him as he searched the downstairs. There was no shell to be found.

oOoOo

Later that night, Harry lay in his bed awake. He had searched just about everywhere for his shell. He hadn't checked the bathrooms yet, but he was planning to in the morning. Other than his search, the day had not been that interesting. Around noon, Dudley had been taken to a daycare. Something about getting to know his preschool classmates for the next semester. The Dursleys had left him at home saying that he would meet his classmates when he started preschool. With Dudley gone, this left Harry very much alone.

Not wanting his cousin sad, Dudley decided to go visit Harry. Grabbing his medallion and a lump from his backpack, he slowly and quietly padded to the room over. If the sounds of his father's snores were anything to go by, then it was safe to move about. The large grandfather clock at the end of the hall chimed eleven times.

Dudley knocked softly at the door before opening and sticking his head in. There was Harry, curled up in his bed starring at him. When he didn't give any form of protest to him being there, Dudley padded over to the bed and sat beside his cousin. For a while, they just sat, comfortable just being together.

After a while, Dudley reached for the lump he had grabbed earlier. "Here," he said as he handed it to Harry. "I know you were looking for your seashell, and I didn't know if you've found it yet, so I made you this in art'n'crafts today."

Accepting the gift from his pudgy cousin with a smile, Harry looked at the hardened brown clay. It was in the lopsided form of a shell. It didn't have the spikes, and the end wasn't as pointed, but the curled bell shape could be seen. Eyes gleaming, Harry looked at his cousin. "Thank you." Dudley nodded as he too smiled, happy to have made Harry happy. Together, the two toddlers fell back into silence as they sat side by side, each clutching their treasure.

The grandfather clock at the end of the hall chimed twelve.

oOoOo

Arabella Figg prided herself on her ability to look and listen. It was what helped get her job in the Order in the first place. What witch or wizard would suspect a Squib after all. Shooing aside her cats, Arabella was ready to head to bed. The Dursleys would be asleep by now, and with Dumbledore's new wards she would know if something unusual happened to harm Harry. As she put her night cap on, she looked out her window that had a nice view of Number 4. Frowning, but not thinking much of it, she idly noticed that a thick blanket of fog had settled on the cul-de-sac. Resting her head on her pillow, her eyes closed and she thought nothing more of it.

On her mantel over the fireplace, her clock struck twelve.

oOoOo

If one were outside that night, one would notice that a thick soup of fog blanketed the entire island of England. If one were outside near the harbor, one would spy in the water two large vessels, their features indistinguishable through the thick fog. If one were listening, they would hear a splash followed by the quick gait of two pairs of boots. The first, steady and sure. The second, staccato like, but still sure in its footing. The sounds of the boots could be followed from the docks all the way inland to a quiet neighborhood.

The one with the steadier footing asked his companion, "Are you sure it's this way and you're not looking for rum."

As though insulted, the other answered, "Aye, mate. An' ya know tha' I want wha' you wnat, so me compass 'ere, it knows wha' we want, savvy?" Will rolled his eyes and shook his head at his friend. He trusted Jack, but at the moment he was doubtful. Looking around, the neighborhood they were in was not something one would think to find an abusive household in. Then again, looks could be deceiving. Jack was a prime example after all.

Jack suddenly made a sharp turn, Harry's chest in his free hand swinging, almost losing Will, into the driveway of a house. Humming, he stalked up to the front porch and turned around a few times. Curious to what he was doing, Will followed and looked over the spinning pirate's shoulder. No matter which direction Jack turned, the compass continued to point past the front door. Stopping to face their next obstacle, Jack smiled and set to work. Will watched, confident that they wouldn't be found due to the thick fog, courtesy of Calypso.

Jack gave a pleased smirk as the wooden door creaked open without a sound. Looking around, he motioned over his shoulder for Will to follow. The inside, as Will observed as Jack was absorbed in his compass, was nicely furnished. The photos that Will could see in the dark consisted of mostly three people and a few various people either family or friends. There was no picture of Harry.

Will turned back around to his companion and said, "Are you sure we're in the right…" only to find his mate half way up the stairs. "…place?"

Ducking down to face Will, Jack said matter-of-factly, "'Course we are, mate. The compass 'as nev'a let us down 'fore, aye?" Will shrugged and started making his way to the stair. "Oh, an' watch tha' first step. It's a squeaker."

Jumping nimbly over the first step, Will joined his fellow captain at the top of the stair case. There were a total of five doors; two on each side and one at the end of the hall. Looking at his compass, Jack headed for the one on his nearest right while Will quickly and silently checked the other doors. One was what looked like a guest room, another was a boy's room, then a bathroom, and finally the master bedroom at the end of the hall. Loud snores could be heard from the inky darkness of the room. Signaling to Jack that the adults were asleep but there was one child unaccounted for, Will headed back to the door.

Smirking, Jack handed the chest to Will before slowly turning the doorknob and pushing the door inward enough to peek inside. Sitting on the bed in the room was the boy they were there for and another pudgy one, supposedly his cousin, sitting beside him. Both were sitting on the bed and looking out the window silently. Quirking an eye at two toddlers being quiet for any amount of time, Jack opened the door the rest of the way and padded over to the two. Panicking that he would startle the children and cause the adult to awaken, Will tried to pull Jack back, but the wayward pirate seemed to slip his grasp. The two children in question didn't notice the intrusion.

Standing behind them, Jack grinned before tapping a finger on a shoulder of each child. Startled, both whipped around, white in the face. They hadn't heard anyone come into the room. The cousin looked ready to scream at the sight on the strange man and Harry was shocked speechless. Now smirking, Jack leaned down and spoke. "'Ello young'ns. My name is Cap'ain Jack Sparrow. My friend 'ere," he said as he gestured to Will who was franticly looking between the children to make sure they were alright and the adult's bedroom to make sure they didn't wakeup, "is Cap'ain Will Turner. We are both pirates. T'night, we're 'ere to steal a someone who is impor'ant ta us. Savvy?" Both boys quickly nodded their heads.

Rolling his eyes again, Will gave up on the sleeping adults and stalked up to his fellow pirate. Smacking him upside the head, he said, "For peat's sake. There's no need to scare a couple of toddlers a third or less your size." Jack held his head and pouted.

Harry and Dudley, seeing the now not so scary man seeming to cower at the other man, both smiled at their uninvited guests' antics. Feeling better now that the strange man was away, Harry ventured to ask, "Why are you here?"

Both pirates were caught off guard, not exactly sure how to answer that. Will finally said, "Well, Harry, we're here to bring someone we care about home with us."

Harry frowned. "How do you know my name? And who are you taking with you?" Dudley had gone rather white and latched onto his cousin.

"Um, well. You see, we. That is to say," Will floundered, not wanting to scare them.

Jack came up from behind and placing a hand on Will's shoulder murmured into his ear, "Le' me take o' this." Not waiting for an answer, he pushed past the gob smacked captain and addressed the children on the bed. "Ya see, 'Arry, you're tha one we're 'ere for. Why, ya may ask? 'Cause we adopted ya. How can tha' be probable? Allow me ta show ya." Taking note of the scared children's faces again, Jack quickly brought out Harry's chest, set it down between the two toddlers, and opened the lid.

It was the most beautiful thing Dudley had ever seen. And the sound, it was as though he were back at the beach. Water sloshed slightly at the bottom while coral, seaweed, and barnacles grew out of the water. A few sea stars could be seen moving about along with a single crab. The glow surrounding the entire miniature aquatic setting made it look as though it were a dream.

Harry, however, wasn't able to pay attention to much of what was in the chest other than what was in the middle. There, in the middle of everything, was his seashell. He became still as memories started flooding back into his mind. As he continued to look at his shell, memories of the island and the monkey came back. Soon the hospital and Dr. Casy came to mind. Miss Writing came soon after. Anamaria giving him a hug. Mr. Norrington patting him on the head. Mr. Gibbs giving him a coloring book. Then came the strange men who took him to a castle. He remembered the old man with the long beard. He said that the castle was a school of magic. He said he would have to go back to the Dursleys. Finally Harry looked up and remembered, "Will? Captain Jack?"

The two captains seemed to be holding their breaths, not sure if what they were doing was going to work. Huge grins overran their faces when Harry called their names. Will quickly sprinted around Jack and pulled Harry into a hug that was fiercely given back. Jack, not able to hold it anymore, pulled both of them into his arms, lifting them into the air in his enthusiasm.

Dudley remained where he sat, confused as to what was going on. "Harry?"

Harry, once released, turned to his cousin. "You were right, Dudley. About everything. These guys, they found me and decided to take me in. They adopted me, Dudley. I'm going back." Understanding what he was saying, Dudley jumped and clutched his cousin.

Unknowingly, as he moved, the medallion around Dudley's neck swayed behind him, catching the gaze of the two pirates. A chill went down their spines. Clearing his throat, Will caught the toddlers' attention. "That medallion of yours," he said as he addressed Dudley, "may I see it?"

Dudley gave a dubious look. While glad that Harry now had people who would take care of him, they were still pirates if what they said was true. Jack, seeing this, said with a chuckle, "No' ta worry, lad. We jus' recognize tha' there coin. We'll give it back, promise."

Nodding, Dudley took off the medallion from around his neck and handed it to Will. Holding it in his hands, Will could practically feel the curse surrounding the coin. Looking at the cousin in surprise, he asked, "Where did you get this?"

Dudley turned to his cousin and said, "Harry gave it to me on the island."

"Harry?"

"Aunt Petunia's lawyer, Mr. Beckett, gave it to me with the chest to keep it safe in."

Both pirates' eyebrows almost rose above their hairlines. "Beckett, ya say," Jack murmured quietly to himself.

Shaking himself from his shock, Will stood. "Well, I suppose we can't take it from you, seeing as how it was a gift, so you be sure to take very good care of that coin. Alright?" Dudley nodded.

oOoOo

Harry looked back one last time from Jack's shoulders up at his window where he could see Dudley waving. He waved back one last time as Will came up beside them carrying his pack. Looking forward, Harry braced himself to venture into the fog, ready to go home.

oOoOo

The next morning, Arabella woke up and continued her watch on Harry Potter. It wasn't until later in the evening that she noticed that the mother had gone to retrieve the cousin from daycare, Harry not far behind. Glad to see the Boy-Who-Lived being included in things, she settled down to taking care of her cats.

oOoOo

Tia gazed into her mirror like rocks. One showed the Black Pearl on its way back to Tortuga, and the other showed the cat person falling for her illusion. Smiling, she turned towards a shell, a larger duplicate of Harry's, which seemed to glow purple in the dim light. Raising a hand, she added more of her power into it. In the rock, the illusion became more solid looking to the cat person. Oh yes, she would hide her future Pirate Lord from all eyes. When she decided to drop her spell over the people caught in her web, they would not remember a thing of the Harry they knew. She would upgrade the illusion in time, but for now, things were fine as they were. Gazing at the Black Pearl again, she smiled as Jack showed Harry how to steer a ship. Oh yes, things were fine the way they were.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait. I am still suffering from jetlag and I haven't gotten into a steady schedule yet. I've been so busy, I didn't even notice when I hit over 200 reviews! Thank you everybody for your fabulous reviews!!

To prongsbutterfly: Excellent question. I hope that this chapter will answer that.

To A new dreamer: Tia is a very scary woman. Both as a 'mortal' and as a goddess. I hope this chapter captures that a bit.

To kirallie and Lady Prince: I'm planning on going over a few things in Harry's life. I think that the story would be incomplete without it.

To Foreverland: Oo Fallen in love? I'm touched! Thank you. I hope you'll continue to love it.

To angie: No need to worry about Harry getting love. I'm planning on going into that in more detail in later chapters. Hmm…how the Dursleys got out so fast? Good question. This calls for a one shot sometime. For now, I'll say that Dumbledore took care of it, but I think it would be interesting to go more into it. Thanks for the idea!

To anonymous: Hehe. You know, I type Jones' name correctly when I'm doing the story, at least for the most part, and I have no idea why I missed that. Thank you for the correction.

To doom mongerer: I will admit, I killed of Elizabeth because I couldn't think of a way to incorporate her into the current time plot, and with her experiences with death and time and everything, well I just don't see her living 'forever'. I see Will the same way, but he sort'a didn't have a choice. Maybe a ghost in the future is in order…

New Situations

Dudley sat at the dinner table, staring at the strange boy beside him. It had been a week since Harry had been taken by the pirates. Dudley had been sure that his parents would have done something about Harry disappearing, but the next morning, he had felt his blood run cold when out of Harry's old room came a boy that looked and acted just like his cousin. The worst part was that he could see through him. He had reached out a hand to see if it would go through, but he was met with resistance. The ghostly image merely smiled and continued on down the stairs. After a pause, Dudley followed.

Entering the kitchen, he was surprised to find the Ghost Harry sitting in Harry's spot, seemingly eating a plate of eggs. Dudley got another shock when it appeared that the eggs were disappearing into the ghost's mouth, when really they faded on the plate. Or, they seemed to fade. He could still see the eggs, but they were becoming as translucent as the ghost.

Dudley jumped when his mother addressed the ghost, "Finish your eggs. I don't want to see a scrap left."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Dudley's eyes widened. It could talk. The ghost quickly 'finished' the plate of eggs. Petunia nodded her head, pleased that he had done as told. Dudley watched as his mother picked up the 'empty' plate, rinsed, and placed it in the dishwasher. But, the plate had been full. Looking back at the ghost, Dudley nearly ran when it suddenly looked at him and winked.

Something was going on, but his young mind couldn't connect just what it was. It had something to do with Harry, and those pirates, and perhaps that man in black that had come and given Harry back to them. Suddenly, Dudley felt as though there was a big secret that only he knew. He would keep this secret.

A week had gone by already, but the Ghost Harry had yet to speak with him. Only when it was spoken to would it speak. Dudley had tried talking with it, but it would only smile at him. None of the adults seemed to realize that the real Harry was missing. His mother never seemed to realize that when she washed the ghost's dishes, she was washing a full plate of food. Even the old cat lady didn't seem to know what was going on.

Dudley decided to talk with the Ghost Harry again that evening after dinner. Cautiously, he knocked and entered Harry's old room where the ghost went every night. Looking in, there was the ghost, the moonlight streaming through him, looking at him expectantly. Shyly entering, Dudley slowly shut the door behind him so as to not make noise. Turning around again, his medallion gleamed in the moonlight, catching the ghost's gaze. It seemed to smile.

Tentatively, Dudley approached. "Who are you?"

He was surprised when the ghost opened its mouth and spoke in Harry's voice. "What you see, child, is not real. You are the only one in his past life that Harry trusts, therefore, I have deemed you worthy of seeing through my illusion."

"Illusion? What's that?"

The ghost grinned. "An illusion is when you make something appear that isn't really there." Dudley nodded. "I have created an illusion of Harry so that those I do not trust believe Harry to still live here. Understand?" Again, Dudley nodded. "Good. I do have some good news for you as I'm sure you miss Harry, yes?" Dudley's eyes seemed to light up. "You must say Harry's name when alone with my illusion. Then, you and Harry may talk. But there is a catch. You must say Harry's real name."

Dudley was confused. Alright, so if he said Harry's name, he'd be able to talk to his cousin when he was alone, but he had to say Harry's real name. "Harry James Potter," he recited.

Understandingly, the ghost smiled and said, "I'm afraid that Harry does not go by that name any longer. And I'm afraid that I can not tell you what name he goes by now. Only Harry may tell you that."

"But," Dudley protested, his eyes tearing, "Harry isn't here any more, so he can't tell me. How can he tell me when he isn't here?"

The ghost got up from the bed and walked up to Dudley. Frightened, Dudley backed up, scared that he had done something wrong. The ghost lifted its arm and Dudley closed his eyes. He opened them again in shock when he felt the translucent arms gather him into a hug. "I'm sorry, child," the ghost murmured into his ear. "You are correct that Harry can not tell you, but I promise he will soon. One way or another. I shall not isolate my future Pirate Lord in such a manner. Never fear, young one. You shall hear from your cousin. For now though," the ghost said as it let go, "I believe you need to get back to bed. You have daycare in the morning."

Dudley nodded, glad to know that he would hear from Harry somehow. As he opened the door, he looked back at the ghost. "What is your name?"

The ghost whirled around to look at him, the faint sound of waves seemed to follow in its wake. After a moment, it gave a large grin that didn't fit on Harry's face. The lips were pulled back to show Ghost Harry's gums, and the eyes crinkled. Its eyes started to glow yellow in the moonlight. Then it spoke in another voice. "Ye may call me Tia. I sha' no' 'urt ya, young Dud'ey an' 'either will me illusion. Now, o' wif ya. Young boys need deir sleep." The ghost's features returned to normal.

Dudley nodded as he bid Tia goodnight. Laying in his own bed, the feeling that something big was happening hit Dudley again. It was his secret. It was Harry's secret. He would keep their secret. Smiling, Dudley clutched his medallion as he fell asleep.

oOoOo

Severus Snape stalked down the street. He had been sent by the Headmaster to check on the Potter boy. He had, of course, protested that his potions couldn't wait, but he eventually did as Dumbledore asked. Though, he would never voice out loud that he was worried for the boy himself. Besides, he needed a nice walk.

Stalking up the steps to Number 4, his black cloak billowing behind him, he smartly knocked on the door. As he waited, he peered at the neatly trimmed hedges and evenly cut grass. Usually, he would appreciate such meticulousness, but knowing what lay behind the very door in front of him, he was appalled.

Whirling around when he hear a latching being released, he was met with the very boy he was there to see. They stared at each other for a moment before the boy asked, "Who are you?"

Startled, Severus gathered his wits, and said. "I am Severus Snape. I am here to talk to your aunt. If you would please fetch her, I shall be leaving as soon as possible." Potter nodded as he closed the door and went to supposedly get his aunt.

A moment later, Petunia opened the door with a smile. When she saw who was at the door, the smile vanished. "And just what you are the likes of you doing here?" she asked in a harsh whisper, her head turning every which way to make sure the neighbors were not watching.

Severus sneered. "I'm here to check on Potter. I was sent by the Headmaster."

"Wasn't it bad enough that you had to land us with the boy twice? If you hadn't noticed, we don't want a freakish thing as him living with us." Severus' left eye began to twitch.

"I am merely here to make sure that the boy is being taken care of properly. Food, clothes, a proper room and so forth. If you would…"

Appalled, but not willing to risk the dark looking wizard's wrath, she opened the door wider and motioned the man to quickly come in. "Harry!" she screeched. The boy padded into the room from the kitchen. "If you would show this man to your room, why don't you tell him what you and I have done this week, hm?" Harry nodded and started up the stairs. Severus gave one more sneer in the woman's direction before following.

The boy's room was sparse. There was a bed, a dresser, a small desk, and a small beside. There was a window and a closet off to the side. Severus paid attention to the boy as he spoke. "This is my room. My cousin, Dudley has his room across from mine," he explained as he pointed to a side wall. "A few days ago, Aunt Petunia and I went and bought some clothes," he said as he pointed to the closet.

Severus nodded. "May I see your new clothes?" Harry nodded as he went and opened the closet door. Peering inside, Severus spotted several older looking clothes that looked like small balloons and then some smaller, newer items. About five shirts, three pairs of pants, a jacket, and a few sweaters. On the closet floor were a few pairs of shoes that looked too big to fit the small boy and another few that looked new and smaller. One of the new shoes already looked scuffed. Pleased to see progress, Severus nodded. "And underwear? Have you gotten those?"

Harry nodded. "Yup. Some boxers and some socks." Severus nodded again.

"Very well then. Tell me, have you been eating well?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Well, I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Sometimes I have an apple or a cookie in between."

Severus again nodded. "I believe I am done here," he declared as he walked out through the door and down the stairs.

In the main room awaited Petunia. Facing her, Severus announced, "The Headmaster will be please. He expects you to continue to raise the boy in such a manner and to make sure that he attends primary school." The woman's nose wrinkled, but she nodded in consent. "Good. I shall take my leave then. I can not say that I will never be back or if someone else will be along, so make sure you don't do something that action is required again, understand?" The woman's eyes narrowed, angry at being threatened, but nodded. "Good day then." With that, Severus stalked out the door, Petunia quickly shutting and dead bolting the door behind him.

Severus planned what he would tell Dumbledore when he returned to report in. The boy had seemed strange. He had shown little emotion, as to be expected, of course, and he had followed directions without question. At least the boy was clothed somewhat properly, fed three square meals, and had a proper room. With his experience under the Dark Lord, he could tell that the boy had not been beaten any time between when he had dropped him off and his visit today. Severus planned on making a few stops to Number 4 in the future. Of course, none of his colleagues would ever know of it.

Reaching the Anti-Apparition Ward limit, the wizard disappeared with a crack.

In the bedroom of Number 4, Harry watched and smiled as the wizard disappeared. In her underwater cave of mirror rocks, Calypso smiled an identical smile. Both sets of eyes glowed yellow. This one was interesting.

oOoOo

Harry awoke with a jerk. The deck bell was ringing. Sitting up in his hammock, Harry turned towards the nearest window. The sound of the sea greeted him. He breathed in heavily, enjoying the salty air, before swinging out of his net to pull on a pair of pants and some shoes. It had only been a week, but he had learned early on that a pair of shoes with rubber soles were needed on a ship like the Black Pearl. He had tried to go bare footed like Cotton, but after the several splinters sticking into his tender foot and slipping and sliding everywhere, he had opted to stick to shoes. Mr. Gibbs had laughed at him and said that he would toughen his feet up eventually.

Stepping out of Captain Jack's quarters and onto the quarterdeck, Harry was greeted by Anamaria with some fluffy biscuits and rich gravy. Smiling, Harry thanked her and climbed up to the poop deck to eat. From there, Harry was able to watch as the rest of the crew went about their chores. Swinging his feet over the edge of the deck, Harry watched Captain Jack as he handled the wheel. The man looked so happy just standing there with his hands on the many handles. Harry was so grateful to this man. He wanted to keep Captain Jack happy. Biting into his biscuit, Harry made another vow of many to keep Papa Jack happy however he could in the future.

The sun had yet to rise, but when a flash of green overtook the sky, Harry turned towards the source in time to see the Flying Dutchman rise from the water with a large splash. Daddy Will was yet another man he was grateful to and one he wanted to keep happy. Where Papa Jack was funny and fun, Daddy Will made sure Harry was hugged and loved. Each showed their compassion in their own ways.

Harry spied Will on the railing of the Dutchman's main deck, a rope in hand. "Permission to come aboard, Captain!?" Will yelled out to Jack when the Dutchman came into range. Jack in turn smirked as he rolled his eyes. Motioning for him to come over, Will swung and gave himself a push to land on the poop deck beside Harry who had finished with his breakfast. "Good morning, Harry. How are you this morning?"

Harry loved it when Daddy Will swung over during their trip back to Tortuga. Smiling, Harry looked up to Will and answered, "I'm good, Daddy. How are you? Is Uncle Norrington still upset about the dive?"

Will chuckled at the reminder. It was only a few days after they had stolen Harry back. Harry, apparently, had never seen dolphins before. A whole pod of dolphins had decided to swim alongside the Pearl sometime in the early evening. Fascinated, Harry had hung over the railing to get a closer look. Despite Jack's and the others' watchful eye, Harry still managed to fall overboard when no one was looking. Jack had rushed to the railing, as Anamaria had told Will, only to nearly keel over laughing. She had rushed to the railing as well and almost started laughing herself. As she had described to him, there was Harry, happy as could be, as he sat on a dolphin that continued to jump and skim the water. When the crew on the Dutchman caught wind of it the next day, James had gone on a protective streak. Anamaria had joked that his hair would turn white if he were not already dead. "Not to worry," Will assured, "While James is getting over his shock, I think he'll be alright enough to let you come aboard the Dutchman for a bit."

"Alright!" Harry shot up from where he was and descended to the main deck, hoisting himself up to get a good look at the Dutchman. Will and the other pirates chuckled at his eagerness. Where as seasoned sailors quaked at the thought of the ghostly ship, this little toddler was excited to go aboard.

"Did ya finish your breakfast, Harry," Anamaria inquired as she strolled by.

"Yes Aunti 'Maria," Harry answered absently, his eyes were still glued to the Dutchman. Anamaria rolled her eyes and motioned at Will to take the boy over already.

Chuckling, Will came up beside Harry and said, "Alright, now listen carefully. I want you to get on my back and hold on tight, alright? I'll swing over, but the last thing we need is for your to fall into the water. Last time you had dolphins to play with, but I don't think the sharks will be as nice." Harry's eyes widened as he nodded. "Good. Now, any last instructions, Jack?" he asked as he faced his fellow captain.

Jack struck a thinking pose. "Well, tha whelp needn't stay too long on me ship, I think. We're coming up ta land. Why don' ya keep 'im for the rest of tha trip."

Will nodded. "Excellent idea. What say you, Harry?"

"Aye!"

Will rolled his eyes. "Jack," he complained, "you're corrupting him already."

Jack smirked in reply. "Ne'er too early ta start bein' a pirate, mate," he said as he winked at Harry who giggled.

oOoOo

Harry lounged in the crow's nest on the Dutchman later that afternoon. The crew got a few laughs when James would occasionally climb up to make sure that the newest recruit was alright. Harry would smile and say that he was watching the waves.

Harry was disturbed from his trance when a shout sounded. "Land ho!" Excited, Harry carefully started climbing down. Will met him halfway with James following shortly behind. With Harry in his arms, Will made his way by rope over to the Pearl. Once landed, Harry rushed to see his first view of Tortuga from the water.

Jack came up behind Harry and pointed to a small looking rock almost out of view. "An' over there, 'Arry, is where you'll be livin'." Harry recognized the hut. Seeing his new charge starting to shut down, Jack continued, "Tha reason you're livin' there is 'cause we 'ave no where else for ya to go. A ship is no place for a young'n. Besides, tha island is you're."

Harry was surprised. With wide eyes, he turned towards Jack, "Mine? But Mr. Beckett said that it belonged to Aunt Petunia."

Jack forced back a scowl at the woman's name. "Aye, it did. But there be a clause in yer mother's will sayin' that any of 'er blood descendents, like you, were to step foot onta that there island, it would belong to 'im or 'er. So, it belongs ta you now, savvy?" Harry smiled and nodded as he turned back to the view. An island that belonged to him. And he would be living there. Harry couldn't wait to start his new life.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Notes: You know, I'm actually surprised that I was able to get this up as quickly as I have. I got two days off, so ya. Don't expect another one to come out for about two weeks. But until then, hope everyone enjoys.

To Kin Pandun: Thank you so much for the information. I've been just about everywhere trying to find info on this stuff. I'm finding a few things and I've been trying to go with them. No need to worry about tattered sails. I'll get into a description of the Pearl, some how, and let me assure you there will be no tattered sails. I always wondered how the ship could sail in the movie. As for the rest of the terminology, all help from anyone is appreciated.

To Twilight Unicorn: You know, I laughed for a good ten minutes when I read your review. I still continue to smile and chuckle, freaking anyone within seeing distance of me, whenever I think of it. I am planning on going through all seven years of Harry's time at Hogwarts, some how, and I am so dedicating that chapter to you. Hehe! I can't wait to write it! Just have to get through the introduction book and then through the first through third books of the HP series first, but I can't wait!

To all readers: Sorry for lack of my usual responses to reviews. I promise to make up for it soon. To answer a few questions, yes Will can travel through the Dutchman like Jones could. The reason I didn't have it last chapter was because they didn't want to spook Harry. I tried to explain that in this chapter, but I don't know if I did it well enough. I am planning on going through important part of Harry's life in Tortuga for a while before going on to his time in Hogwarts for a while, so I hope everyone can be patient for a bit. Other than that, I hope you all enjoy.

Sorrow and Happiness

The clock tower struck three' o' clock as Jack stood in the shade. He was waiting for Harry to get out of primary for the summer. Summer vacation was about to start and they had plans to sail to Africa the next day after hearing about a lost tomb supposedly filled with forgotten treasure.

Around Jack stood other fathers and mothers, all waiting to walk their children home. He received a few looks at his dirty, outdated clothes, but he ignored them. They were the strange ones, not him. He didn't go around wearing bright yellow that could attract any insect in the area. He didn't go around wearing…was that a muumuu?

Finally, the sound of a stampede came from the school house. Jack smiled as he braced himself, ready for Harry to run and mob him. However, as the others slowly left one by one, the six year old boy never showed up. Now worried, Jack swiftly ventured into the school house and started searching for Harry's homeroom.

Jack was passing by the nurse's station when he heard his charge's voice. "C, P, Y, O." Curious, Jack poked his head in. There was Harry, reciting letters written in a large font on a piece of cardboard that the nurse pointed to. Jack frowned. The card read G, F, V, D. Knocking, he entered the room.

Harry whirled around. "Papa!" He quickly left his seat and launched himself at one of his two fathers.

"'Ello ta you too, 'Arry. 'Ave a good day a' school?" Jack asked with a chuckle to hide his worry.

Harry frowned. "Not really. I kep' getting headaches."

"Again? Wha' seems ta be tha problem then?" he asked as he turned towards the nurse.

The nurse smiled at him before she directed herself at Harry. "Why don't ya let me talk to your papa here, okay? We'll call ya when you can come in." Harry nodded as Jack let him down. Giving his papa one last hug around the middle, he hurried out the door. Jack waved after him with a smile, but when the door was firmly shut, he turned fierce and determined eyes upon the nurse.

Squirming a bit, she started saying, "His teacher brought him in during lunch today. Apparently, he was having some trouble reading, and after having so many headaches these past few months, she thought it best that he be brought here to have lunch and lay down. I was doing some paper work when I heard Harry reading the charts around the room. One of them was this here eye test chart. I'm sorry, Mr. Sparrow, but I believe that an optometrist needs to take a look at him," she apologized sincerely.

"You thin' 'is eye sights is goin' bad then?"

She nodded. "It could be for any number of reasons. I believe it to be genetics, sir. While a person's eye sight could go bad for any number of reasons, only when the eyes start going bad as swiftly as Harry's has been would I say genetics. Again, I believe that an optometrist needs to see him."

Jack nodded. "Dually noted," he said as he turned and started heading out the door. "I shall 'ave Dr. Casy take a look a' 'im," he assured as he stepped out.

There was Harry in the hall. "We're going to go see Dr. Casy?" he asked.

oOoOo

Jack, Will, and Dr. Casy all sat and stood in a small room as an optometrist that Dr. Casy had brought in strapped Harry to a huge machine. "Not to worry," the optometrist said with an accent. Jack figured he was from India. "This machine will tell us just what is wrong with young Harry here. Now, Harry," he said as he positioned the machine, "I want you to keep your eyes open as I puff a small bit of air into your eyes, okay?" He received a nod. "Good now on three. One," he puffed the air.

Harry jumped a little when the air came when he wasn't ready. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "You said on three."

"I did, didn't I?" the optometrist said with a smile. "And when I got to three, you would have flinched, then the eye would not have gotten the full blast, no?" The pirates nodded appreciatively in the background. Harry scowled as the rest of the examination started.

oOoOo

An hour later, Harry sat with dark shades over his eyes as he listened to what the adults talked about. "I'm sorry to say," the optometrist started, "that Harry will, in a few years if this continues, be as blind as a bat. I can write up a prescription for glasses and later, when he is old enough, for contacts, but I'm afraid that he'll be stuck with this."

The two pirate captains frowned. They had wondered why Harry always seemed to be a little clumsy, but they had chocked it up to him being a kid. And now their boy needed glasses. A pirate with glasses was never heard of. It just wasn't done. The salty water could do major damage to the glasses, and when in a fight there was always the chance they would fall off. It was as much of a hazard to the wearer as to the rest of the crew.

Sighing, as there was nothing left to do, Will picked up Harry into his arm and said, "Thank you, doctor. That would be much appreciated." Jack pocketed the prescription as they left, their moods dwindling behind them, left in the room. It looked like their plans would have to be postponed...for a long time.

oOoOo

Harry frowned as he fiddled with his new glasses. Today was his seventh birthday and he was ready to cry. They were supposed to be half way to Africa by now, able to see land even. But no. All because of these stupid pieces of glass. Harry curled up on the beach outside his home. The Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman were both anchored nearby and the beach was host to a few dingys.

Usually, on his birthday, the crews would take Harry to a distant country for him to experience as much of the world as possible. Last year they traveled to Egypt to see the camels and pyramids. The year before they went to Japan for the Tanabata or Star Festival and Marine Day celebrations. This year, there would be no special trip. This year, he was stuck on a beach with glasses. His family had tried to cheer him up. Pintel and Ragetti had tried to make him smile, but had little success.

It was now sunset and Harry had yet to crack even a little smile. Will was about to gather his crew up for the night and send Harry to bed when he saw a figure walking down the beach towards them. As it came closer, a yellow dress and dark dreadlocks could be made out. Will motioned to Jack to look who instantly stood from his slumped position, alert to help spirit Harry away if need be. Harry continued to fiddle with his glasses and look out at the sea.

Tia Dalma continued her stroll down the beach. She had a birthday boy to see. She smirked when she saw her Pirate Captains standing at attention for her. The rest of their crews, having caught the captains' tense stances, were also alert and waiting for orders. The boy she was there to see continued to stare out into the water, oblivious of the goddess making her way towards him.

Locking her eyes firmly on the boy, Calypso calmly walked past her two favorite pirates and past their crews, stopping behind the boy. She could feel various pairs of eyes on her as she softly whispered when she bent down, "'Appy Birthday, 'Arry."

Startled, Harry turned around at the new voice. His eyes widened when he saw this new woman behind him, a stranger that Papa and Daddy had let near him. She must have been alright then, but if their eyes were anything to go by, they didn't like her. Then, why did they let her near. Harry looked up through his glasses and into her eyes. "Who are you?"

Calypso grinned at the familiar question. "Me name be Tia. I'm 'ere ta wish ya a 'appy birthday, young 'Arry."

Harry frowned. "How do you know my name?"

Calypso continued to grin. "I 'now ye name, 'cause I was dere when dat wizard, Dumb'edore, left ya to yer aunt'n'uncle."

Harry was shocked. A few months after Papa and Daddy had come to get him from the Dursleys, they had told him what they, and he, really were. He had witnessed magic first hand at that castle only to see it again when Daddy had suddenly appeared when he had fallen over the rope bridge one afternoon. Not to mention when he had seen Daddy's ship come out of the water for the first time, but during the trip from England, they had said it was a special kind of submarine. Cautious and curious, Harry asked, "Wha' do you know about wizards?"

Calypso's grin widened. "A fair bit, a'tually. I me self am mag'cal, ya 'now. Matter a fac', I'm 'ere ta give ya a few pre'sents." From her dress, she pulled out a glass bottle with a cork stopper along with a rolled up scroll inside. A ruby ring on a gold band jingled at the bottom.

Looking at Will and Jack for permission, he nodded his thanks before taking the bottle. Uncorking it, he read:

"To send a message, place a written message into the bottle and throw the bottle into water."

Curious, Harry read another scroll rolled into the first.

"Imagine your desired object in front of you so that it floats into the air. Raise your hand and say Wingardium Leviosa. This is the Levitation Charm. It floats your desired object into the air." The rest of the text in the scroll went on to explain how and why this happened. Harry peered up into Tia's eyes. "What is this?"

"Dat be yer fi'st lesson wit' mag'ic. Fr'm now on, I shall be teachin' ya 'ow ta use yer powers," she explained. "As fer da bottle, I'm sure ya be missin' yer cousin, yes?" Harry looked up with wide eyes and nodded. "All ya 'ave ta do is write 'im a lette', put it in da bottle, an' drop it inta water. He'll be gettin' it shortly afte'."

Excited, Harry raced back to his hut to quickly write out a quick message with directions on how to send him a message as well. Back on the beach, the pirates looked at the goddess with gratitude. Will came up to her and said, "Thank you. You have no idea just how you have made his day. Ever since the glasses, he's been nothing but frowns."

Calypso smiled at her ferryman. "Frowns, aye? Guess we'll 'ave ta do somet'in' abou' dat." Will furrowed his brows, curious as to what she may do.

Harry came running back out of his hut to the water's edge. Pulling his arm back, his new ring glittering on a finger in the fading sun, he threw the bottle with his letter out into the waves. Smiling, he turned and ran towards Tia. "Thank you!" he exclaimed as he tackled her into a hug.

All on the shore stood still as they saw their youngest hugging the goddess none wanted to cross. Calypso merely smiled and hugged the young boy back. Kneeling, she removed his glasses and leaned in. Slowly, she kissed each eyelid as they fluttered closed.

It felt as though his eyes had been dunked into a pool of ice. With temperatures as they were in the Caribbean, Harry thought it felt good. Opening his eyes afterwards, Harry couldn't help but drop his jaw. He could see. He could see everything. He hadn't been able to see this well since he had started cooking back at the Dursleys. Tears starting to pool and drop from his eyes, he crushed his face into Tia's neck once more. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," he continued to whisper in her neck through his quiet sobs. Calypso smiled as she rubbed his back.

When he was done, Tia handed Harry back his glasses. Now smirking, Harry took them, turned, and chucked them into the ocean. His family started when they saw the action, but when Harry turned around, they stopped. His eyes, his smile, his face, all said one thing: he didn't need them any more.

Laughing with joy, Anamaria ran and gathered Harry into her arm, laughing and shouting out as she twirled on the spot. Will grinned like a madman when Jack went and joined them, lifting his second mate and charge together and spinning. Turning around to thank the goddess again, Will was not surprised to see the last of a trail of crabs scuttle into the water. Turning back around, he went and joined the long overdue celebration of Harry's birthday.

oOoOo

Dudley got out of the bathtub, grabbing a towel to wrap around his lean waist. It had been three years since he had seen his cousin, let alone heard his real voice. After the first talk with the Illusion Harry, he went about just watching it, but never talking to it. After a while, he began to find it funny how all of the other adults and kids seemed to think the illusion was the real Harry. The man in black would come about every other month to check on Harry, but he never stayed long. Dudley had watched as the illusion started primary school and how it never tried to make friends. Dudley supposed that Tia didn't want the illusion to do anything too dramatic in case Harry ever had to come back.

Having put on his pajamas, Dudley reached for his toothbrush, idly listening to the tub drain of its water. Scrubbing his teeth for the night, he stopped when he heard a splash that was far too loud to be water draining. Turning back to the tub, there in the slowly dwindling water was a bottle. Correction, a message in a bottle. In his tub.

Curious, he set his toothbrush in the sink and padded over. Peering at the bottle with the rolled up paper inside, he carefully reached out and picked it up. Grabbing a towel, he dried it off before pulling away the cork stopper. Tipping the bottle upside down, he shook it until the paper fell out. Replacing the stopper in the neck of the bottle and setting it on the counter, he sat on the edge of the tub and unrolled it. As he read it and clutched his medallion around his neck, his jaw dropped. It read:

"Hi Dudley! It's Harry! You'll never believe what I'm doing right now. I'm writing you a letter. This lady, Tia, came and gave me this bottle with directions to write a letter to you, put it in the bottle, and toss it into water. I hope this works, because I miss you. I hope you get this, because I want to tell you about all of the cool places I've been. If you get this, write soon, okay? But don't tell Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon. You know how they hate magic. Yup, magic. I guess this is a magic bottle. I'll tell you more about that later too.

By the way, if you don't think it's me, then I'll tell ya something that only I would know. I gave you that gold coin on the island and you wear it, used to wear it, don't know if you still do or not, around your neck.

Hope to hear from ya soon,

Harry James Turner Sparrow."


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: …I think I was bored. Two days off isn't good for me when it comes to boredom, but good for my story writing. I had planned on going to a park today to take pictures, but it started thundering. Hehe, I'm not used to Florida weather yet.

For those wanting to ask about my new character, I only started writing her in on a whim. I now have a few plans for her, nothing romantic, but I don't plan on having her as a major character. Something along the lines of Dudley actually. Something to keep Harry anchored. Let me know what you all think. If no one likes her, I'll change the chapter.

I start work up again tomorrow, so, even though I keep saying this, don't expect an immediate update like today. My next day off isn't until next Saturday.

To the-dreamer4: Thank you for the idea on how to start this chapter off. I had thought about how the Book would identify Harry and whither or not it would give Harry away, but I just couldn't think of how Harry could continue to hide. I hope I covered it alright.

A New Recruit

Dumbledore sighed as Severus left his office, done with yet another report on Harry's treatment in the Dursley household. Oh how he wished there was another way, but sadly there wasn't. Harry needed to stay with the Dursleys for his future love of magic. Things would be so much easier if only they hadn't tried to get rid of the boy.

Heaving another sigh, Dumbledore spotted the Book which held all the names of future students that were to receive an acceptance letter. The list would slowly grow and shrink with each passing year. Pulling it towards himself, Dumbledore flipped through the pages until he reached the P section. It would be a few more years yet, but there was Harry's name and address at Number 4, all ready for the day that he would receive his letter. A spell that he would cast would automatically address each envelope and send them to Minerva's desk where she would use a copying spell to send in each envelope the letters. They would then be sent to the Owlery where the school owls would deliver the letters to the future students.

Dumbledore gave a frown as he looked at Harry's name. It seemed rather fuzzy, as though someone had tried to wipe it off. Surely that wasn't the case, however, as nothing could make the Book change who would be received into the school. It was a magical book, passed down from the Founders, which received and recorded new magical blood that would need training. It would record the name of the babe and the address would change according to where he or she lived. If the child's name were to be changed at any time, then the book would change with it. Forever though would the same child be in the book until the time came for them to receive graduate.

Dumbledore shook his head, trying to erase the illusion he was seeing from his head. Harry's name was written just as any of the other names. He must be getting old if his eyes were starting to deceive him like this. Harry was down in the Book along with his address to Number 4. That was all that mattered.

Shutting the Book, Dumbledore set it aside and started making his way to the door. Perhaps a nice cup of hot cocoa would calm him a bit.

oOoOo

Calypso smirked at the aged wizard through her mirror-like rocks.

oOoOo

"Now, make sure to keep your feet firmly planted on the ground," James instructed to eight year old Harry. "Remember what happened last time you didn't brace yourself?"

"Yes, Sir," Harry answered. Oh he remembered alright. His butt still hurt from it.

"Now, no need to aim right now. We'll get to that when we come to it. Hold it with both hands, as I showed you. Again, bend your knees, transfer your weight evenly to your feet. Cock and lock your elbows. Good. Now firmly squeeze and…" A shot rang out. The bull's-eye target a few meters from the duo was clipped on the side. "Good show. Now tell me, how was that?"

Harry allowed the ringing in he ears to fade a bit before he relaxed and looked at the pistol in his hands. Uncle James was behind him, giving him instruction and support as he taught him how to shoot. "Does it always hurt tha ears?"

James smirked. Of all the things to ask. "You get used to it after a while. Eventually you just ignore and drown it out. Like Jack's babbling." Harry giggled. "Now, again. Do not aim. I want you to get a feel for using a gun first before we try you out on targets." Harry nodded and set himself up for another round.

Jack sat off to the side tending to his own pistol. He would let Norrington teach Harry the basics, but then he would grab hold of the lad and teach him the real way a pirate shoots a gun. He would allow Will to teach him the 'proper' way to fight with a sword before he taught him the 'proper' way for a pirate to fight. Eh, it was good for the lad to have experience in both instances. Smirking, Jack thought of the package he had hidden in his cabin from the boy. Harry's eighth birthday was fast approaching. The only proper gift Jack could really think of other than a trip to India was a new modern hand gun. Jack had thought of getting him one that he himself used, but after think about it, he decided on a modern gun. After all, Harry, with old fashioned teaching, was to be a modern pirate. It would only due for a modern pirate to have a modern firearm after all.

When it came to swords, though, nothing beat the good old techniques that Will specialized in. Jack grinned when he remembered that his fellow captain was 'secretly' crafting a fabulous sword and dagger set for their son. He had already finished one of the daggers and Jack couldn't help admire Will's skills with a mallet, fire, and metal. He would have made a fine life as a blacksmith if he had been given the chance. Oh well. Jack smirked again when he heard an indignant screech from Jack the monkey when Harry accidentally shot it. He covered up a laugh with a cough when Harry nearly dropped his gun to run and check on the undead monkey. Norrington merely stood and shook his head.

oOoOo

Will sat on the railing of the Dutchman, the Locker's sea spread out before him. A lot had happened in the past few years. Adopting a son was highly unexpected, but very well worth it. From time to time he would think of his son Will. He and Harry would have gotten along beautifully, and Elizabeth would have spoiled Harry rotten. Well, more rotten than Anamaria did. It would probably have been a contest between the two women to see who could spoil him the most. Will smirked at the thought.

While the happy possibilities would flow through his head, he would eventually be brought back to reality. They were dead. He often wondered if Will could see him from where he was and if he were angry with him for adopting another son. Will would then shake his head and remind himself that his eldest would never think like that. Neither would Elizabeth. Still though, there was a lingering feeling of doubt that dwelled in the back of his mind.

Shaken from his thoughts, he could make out a series of small balls of light. A large group of souls this time. Idly wondering what had happened to cause such a crowd, Will vanished from his spot to the helm. "All hands on deck! Incoming soul boats!" With a flurry of action, the Dutchman came along side the group.

Will handed control of the ship over to James as he went to go greet the newest souls. Appearing on the water he approached the slightly frightened people. Glancing about, he could see that they varied from age and size. Off to the right was a large soul boat with what looked to be a family of a mother, father, and a set of triplets. On the other side sat an elderly couple. At the front of the group regally sat a man in a captain's uniform. Approaching the captain, Will said, "Ahoy, captain. Might I ask how you came to be here?"

The middle aged man had started shaking when he had first seen the frightening ship and had started quaking when he saw this man before him walking on the water. The legends, they were true. Looking into the eyes of the ominous man before him, the captain said, "We're dead, aren't we?" Will nodded sadly. The captain sighed. "I'm Captain George McGwen of the luxury cruise liner, the Golden Lady. We were headed for the English islands from Ireland when we were caught unawares by a storm. The Golden Lady isn't, wasn't, cut out for rough weather. We only set sail when we were assured that it would be safe," he finished, his voice carrying just above a whisper.

Will listened sadly. He had heard this sort of thing before. It always saddened him when this sort of thing happened. "Captain McGwen, I, Captain Turner of the Flying Dutchman, offer my assistance to you and your crew and passengers safe travel through the locker." McGwen sadly nodded. The others in their soul boats had been listening silently, but seemed happy to hear that they had at least a little help. Will signaled back toward the Dutchman and a few of his crew in dinys carefully dropped into the water.

As he stood and waited, Will couldn't help but look at the clear water of the Locker. It had taken several decades, but the water was now clear of the forsaken souls Jones and left behind. Every now and again, however, they would come across a stray soul that they would help from the water to their final resting place.

As the boats came closer, one threw a rope to Will who easily caught it and started tying the soul boats together. A few of the newly dead men would help every now and again, getting the job done faster. A few of the children, not knowing what was going on yet curious would help as well. Once done, the dingys started making their way back to the Dutchman.

A small group of the few women on the Dutchmen met them with blankets for the elderly, women, and children. As they settled in small groups on the deck, Will addressed them, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to welcome you to the Flying Dutchman. You have been through a most terrible and trying time, but I assure you that I shall do everything in my power to make the rest of your time here as smooth as possible." Will paused when a small girl came up to him, a blanket trailing behind her. Will bent down on a knee to greet her.

Timidly, she asked, "Excuse me, sir, but have you seen my mum and dad? I can't find them." Will's eyes started to water. This was always the hard part of his job.

Holding back his tears, Will placed a firm hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I have not seen your parents. If they are not here, then I'm afraid that you won't be seeing them for a long time."

Now tearing herself, the girl continued, "They are not dead, are they?" A sob could be heard from the adults.

Swallowing back a choke, Will answered, "No. I can assure you that they are not dead.

"Oh. Can I stay with you then until they get here?"

Will's eyes widened as did the rest of his crew. Captain McGwen could hardly hold back a cry of surprise himself. It was a rule that Will had made about the Dutchman that he had stuck to for the past four hundred years that any who asked would find a place for themselves on the Dutchman. Those that wanted to leave need only to say the word. Will braced himself. "Do you know where you are, lass?"

The boy nodded. "I'm on the Flying Dutchman, right?"

Will continued, "And do you know where we are right now?" The girl shook her head. "We are in Davy Jones' Locker. It is where those that die at sea go before they reach their final resting place. It is my job as the captain of the Flying Dutchman to ferry all who need my assistance. Do you understand?"

Slowly, the girl ventured. "So only the dead come here? Does that mean that I'm dead?" Will slowly nodded. "Oh." The girl's eyes started tearing. Will gently reached out and brought her into a loose embrace incase the girl didn't want to be held. Instead she grabbed onto Will and started sobbing. All around him, Will heard various forms of disbelief and sorrow through his new passengers.

Once the young girl stopped crying, Will said, "I accept any who wish to join my crew, but I tell you now that it is hard work. You will find yourself in various situations of danger and even pain. However, any who wish to leave may do so. Do you understand?" The girl nodded. "Do you also understand that if you stay on my ship that you would never see your parents again?" Will was trying to get the girl to take back her words. James and the rest of the crew waited with held breaths, praying that the girl would be scared enough to continue on. She was far too young to be a sailor on a ship such as the Dutchman.

Tears threatened to spill from Will's eyes when the girl nodded. He tried again, "Then I'll ask you now. Do you fear death? Do you fear death enough to join my pirate crew and never see your parents again?" Around him, the various adults tried to run and pull the young girl away from the pirate captain, but his crew held them back. This was an important question that would make or break the girl's future. Will could hear the women from his crew starting to sob, and rightfully so.

The girl's eyes widened when she heard that this kind man was a pirate. Her parents were not here. She wanted her mum and dad. But she didn't want to go to heaven until she saw them again. She nodded her head yes to the kind pirate's question.

James covered his face in shock and turned around. This had never happened before. Never had they had one so young ask to join the crew. Whenever they had ferried children, they had asked to be a pirate, but none had ever asked to join the crew once their situation was explained to them. This young girl would be the first after four centuries.

A tear escaped Will's eyes. Slowly he nodded. "Then, I must know the name of my new crew member."

"Sara, Captain. Sara Williams. I am twelve years old."

Twelve? She was only twelve? She was only a few years older than Harry. Will suddenly remembered Harry and started feeling better about the situation. Trying to form a smile, Will said, "Welcome aboard the Flying Dutchman, Miss Sara, and welcome to the crew."

The rest of the trip was doused in silence and various glares from the newly dead towards their ferryman.

oOoOo

Sara sat in her new bed: a hammock in the women's section of the crew's quarters. Apparently, according to the few women that had ushered her below deck, Captain Turner had sectioned the place off especially for any female crewmen that he might come across.

Captain Turner. A deck. A ship. Crewmen. Pirates. The last thing she remembered before waking up in her own soul boat, as the others had called it, was sitting down to dinner with her mum and dad. In her hands she held their picture. Her soul boat had held some of her personal belongings. Captain Turner had guided her over to it and told her to select a few things from it as she wouldn't be able to keep all of it. Once she thought about it, sailors, especially pirates from what she had been told in history class, never kept many personal belongings unless they were a captain or at least someone high up in rank. She had been told to leave the clothes behind for they would get her new ones that were more sea worthy, so she had picked out a few photos and toys.

Her head perked up when she heard footsteps coming from the doorway. Looking up, she saw Captain Turner. He looked tired and sad as he came over and sat down on the floor next to her hammock. Together, that sat in silence.

After a while, Will reached into a bag he had brought with him. From it he pulled out several framed photographs. Silently, he handed one up to Sara who gently took it. The first looked to be made from charcoal and depicted a lovely woman in Chinese garb. "She's beautiful," Sara whispered.

Will smiled sadly. "Her name was Elizabeth. She was once known as the Pirate King. Call her that to her face, however, and you would be sporting either a severed head or a very sore cheek. Most importantly, however, she was my wife."

Sara looked up. "Wife?"

Will nodded. "She was killed in an ambush about three hundred and fifty years ago. Our son, Will, died soon after in an earthquake," he explained as he handed her another charcoal drawing of his son. Sara carefully held it.

After a while, Will drew out another frame. Sara noticed that this time, it was a colored photo. Taking it when offered, she looked at the smiling boy that it depicted. "This is my youngest, Harry. I, along with my best mate, adopted him a few years ago. He's about four years younger, but his birthday is coming up. Would you like to meet him?"

Sara couldn't believe it. There was another kid? She wouldn't be alone? Sara vigorously nodded. "Of course. I would love to meet him."

Will smiled, "Good, because I'm sure he would love to meet you. We'll be seeing him early tomorrow, alright?" Sara nodded again. "Excellent. I will have one of the girls bring you up to the helm with me tomorrow morning, and I'll help you make the transition back over to the living world."

"Transition?" she asked curiously.

"Let's just say that the way we must go to get to the living world is rather…unconventional. You get used to it after a while though," Will explained. "In the mean time, I suggest you get some sleep. You've had a rough time as of late and even though you are dead, it doesn't mean that your body doesn't need rest."

Dead. Right, she was dead now. Sara nodded as she handed the photographs back to her new captain. "Good night then, Captain Turner."

Will smiled as he stood and headed for the door. "Good night, Miss Sara."

After Will had left, Sara clutched her doll that she had kept to her as she laid down. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. It was only when the photo of the boy Harry came to her mind did sleep come to her.


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Notes: Alright, I know, I haven't updated in a very long time, but I've been busy. I also know that this is a short chapter, but I was desperate to get a new part out for everyone. I know that these seem to be mostly filler chapters, but I'm trying to establish a connection between Sara and Harry.

I've decided that Dudley will be Harry's anchor in England while Sara will be Harry's anchor in Tortuga, or at least in the pirating world. So, Sara is not going to be a major character at the moment. Kind of like the doc and social worker who I can not remember the names of at the moment and who seem to have dropped out of the story all together.

I'm planning on doing several 'books.' The start of Harry's life with Jack and Will, meeting Sara, and learning from Tia, yes I will have lessons coming up shortly, will be the first book. The second book will be Harry and his first year at Hogwarts and so on and so forth.

Again, if a lot of you think that Sara is a bad idea or is sounding too Mary Sueish, let me know and I'll rewrite the chapters to exclude her. Again, I have no plans on making her a major character. By the way, did any one notice that I named both my social worker and my new pirate Sara? I didn't until I had gone back and read my favorite chapter over. Huh. I did write Little Sara in on a whim after all.

**Author's Post Notes:** Um, just wanted to make one thing clear. I have no idea what everyone is talking about. Someone mentioned a Jareth and a labyrinth. I have no idea who this guy is, and I know that labyrinth is a movie, but I've never seen it. When I added Sara in, it was on a whim. Again, if most of my reviewers do not like it, then I will edit my last few chapters to not have Sara in it at all. Just let me know, and I will do so.

To A new dreamer: Tia as a great Slytherin, huh? Hmm….

To moonfyre: Do you know how much I cried when I read your review? Thank you so much for your praise!

To Dadaiiro: Wow. Lots of questions in you there are. Not to worry though. If you read the beginning chapters again, you'll find that Will Jr. died with no kids. I didn't mention it too much which may be why you didn't catch it the first time. I will be getting into Harry's lessons soon and your answers for Sara should be in this chapter. As for the other wizards, you'll just have to see. Thank you for mentioning the illusion though. I haven't even thought of the physical differences. Hm…

To NamelessHeretic and Dragonmage182: Not to worry. I don't plan on doing any slash at the moment. If I do decide to do it, then that's another story. I don't write romance very well, so I more than likely won't.

To Funness: No worries about not reviewing. Hmm…thanks for the suggestions. I hope I captured a bit of it in this chapter.

To P.A.W.07: When I got this review of yours, I couldn't help but smile the rest of the day. Thank you so much!

Meeting

Sara was pissed. She had fallen asleep as well as to be expected the night before, and she thought she could get used to waking up every morning to the sound of the waves, but she was still pissed about this new development. "What the bloody hell do you mean I'm going to stay twelve? I haven't even hit puberty yet. Hell, I haven't even grown boobs yet! And now you're telling me that if I'm to stay on this ship, I'll remain a pint sized midget as well?" Sara yelled at her new captain, oblivious to his embarrassment during her rant.

Will had merely wanted to tell her a few things that were going to happen and what now affected her. He did not expect her to blowup the way she did. And when she got to the parts about her body, his eyes could be visibly seen from the other side of the ship and his bright red face could be used as a lighthouse. James tried to hold back his guffaws of laughter, tears spilling down his cheeks in his efforts. James had to admit though, it wouldn't take much to teach the girl how to curse like a sailor with her current language. The other women on the ship had joined James in his mirth, but only a few of the male pirates had even dared to let loose a laugh, though many would suddenly crack a smile when they thought no one was looking. They all had a reputation to keep up after all.

James eventually stepped up and saved his suddenly speechless friend by sending the new recruit towards one of the other ladies to show her the ropes for a bit. She wouldn't get a permanent assignment until she was familiar enough with the ship. Besides, she could always say she wanted to cross the Locker, regardless whether or not her parents were with her or not, at any time.

James made a quick stop to the galley for some cold rum. Totting two tankards, he found Will hanging his head over the railing of the ship. Coming up beside him, James hung a hand out that carried one of the tankards over the railing. A hand seemed to blur up to the handle of the tankard to pull it back to its host of origin. Tipping his head back, Will downed the rum in a few quick gulps. Snapping back up, Will gasped for breath, leaning on the railing with his now empty glass in his loose hand. James smirked as his captain caught his breath. "If she stays, she's going to be a handful, wouldn't you say?" he commented as he took a sip of his own rum.

Silence hung in the air long after Will had caught his breath. Quietly after a time, Will whispered, though it still reached James' ears, "She reminds me of Elizabeth."

James smiled warmly, gazing into the amber liquid sloshing in the bottom of his tankard. "Hence the handful part." Will couldn't help but smile. Elizabeth wouldn't have taken to remaining a child well either.

A while later, Will and James were taken out of their thoughts at the announcement of the completion of the ship's preparations to dive. Handing his empty glass to James, Will appeared in a small splash of water at the helm. Before giving orders to dive, he waited for Sara to appear. He had ordered the other women to make sure that she was with him for her first dive. He gave a nervous smile when he saw her small form make its way up to him. Looking into her eyes, he saw that she had calmed down at least somewhat.

Turning to face her, he said, "Alright. I have explained to you that you are able to 'breath' underwater now, correct?" Sara nodded, her face uncertain. "No need to worry. I wanted you up here so that I could help you through your first dive. I remember my first time. I nearly hyperventilated. 'Course I was near death when I went under, but after that the first few times were rather hard on me. I was just glad that my father was there to help those first few months at least."

Sara's head perked up. "You're father is here?"

Will smiled. "No, he isn't. He had died at sea when I was a lad and was tricked into Davy Jones' service. When I took Jones' place, he was part of my crew for a time. Eventually, he wished to complete his journey through the Locker as all do when they die at sea. If it were not for him and his help though, I don't think I'd be able to do what I can today. Now, I'm going to do what he did for me for you. Trust me, it works," he said as he pointed at her. Sara nodded, still uncertain even after she took Will's hand when he offered it to her. Turning to his crew, Will hollered, "All crew to stations! Prepare to dive at casual speed!" Casual speed would be fine for Sara's first time. Usually they would dive and immediately resurface as they were used to it, but for Sara, she needed more time to adapt. It was something he did with all new recruits, though he never saw to their transition personally as he was doing now.

Slowly, the Flying Dutchman descended into the water. Sara could hear the water coming up the sides and sloshing into the hull of the ship. She was suddenly grateful for the waterproof chest she was given for her belongings. The water of the Locker started to slosh up and over the edge of the deck. Sara's breathing increased as she saw the crew slowly start to be swallowed by the coming water, though she didn't seem to notice how they all seemed relaxed and at ease with it. She whimpered and clung to Will as the water started making its way up her feet. Her breathing increased even more, almost hyperventilating, and her heart rate skyrocketed. Suddenly, she couldn't breath. She couldn't feel her lungs take in air, yet the water hadn't even reached her knees. Looking at her mouth, she saw a large, calloused hand holding itself over her mouth and nose. Looking up, she traced the hand to an arm up to the shoulders then face of the perpetrator.

Will looked down at her with kind eyes. "It's going to be alright," he assured as he continued to hold his hand over Sara's nose and mouth. The water continued to rise. When it reached her chest, she started struggling, but Will wouldn't let go. Eventually, the water encompassed both pirates and slowly started up the rest of the ship and masts.

She was floating. At least, it felt as though she were floating. It was just like when she went swimming and she stayed under for a while except without the burning feeling in her chest. Wait, burning chest? Opening her eyes, Sara couldn't help but gasp, not even noticing water filling up her once empty lungs. It was beautiful. She had seen many pictures of things underwater, but nothing compared to what it looked like up close. The dim light of the Locker's stars streamed down into the water, creating streaks of light in the water, hitting those moving about on the ship, casting them into a complicated pattern of water and light. Turning around to take in everything, Sara hardly noticed when her captain had taken his hand offer of her.

Will smiled as he watched his new recruit take in her new surroundings. He cleared his throat, the water still made it hard for him to speak at first. "Sara," he called out clearly.

Sara turned back around only to gasp in surprise. There was Captain Will, standing at the helm of the ship. The water was making his shirt float from his body, his pants seemed to stick to his legs, and if not for his bandana, Sara was sure his shoulder length hair would be flying every which way as the rest of it was.

Will patiently waited for Sara to get her bearings before stating, "We're turning the ship over now, alright?"

Dazed, Sara asked, her voice sounding funny to her ears in the water, "Over?"

Will nodded. "Aye. Believe it or not, but the only way to get to the living world is to capsize the ship. Think of it as crossing a mirror, only it's at your feet." Sara nodded her understanding. Turning back to his waiting crew, Will gave orders to turn the ship.

oOoOo

The bell rang for the start of class. Children from every direction started pouring into the school house all at once. Some climbed over other classmates while others through open windows so as to not be late. One child, however, dashed around to the entrance to the school cellar. This child knew that the cellar connected to all of the classrooms in the building and if one knew which hatch to open, they'd end up right behind the teacher's desk.

Kneeling, the child took a bobby pin from dark hair and started picking at the locks. Security had added on a few more after the child had last broken in, but the locks gave way after a few seconds. Swinging the doors open, the child jumped to the floor of the cellar and dashed for the correct hatch. Luckily, they didn't lock the hatches. What if there had been an emergency and the school had to evacuate to the cellar, but they couldn't get to it due to a stuck lock or if the teacher couldn't find the correct key? Rather smart of them really.

Stopping under the destined hatch, the child listened for sound. The sound of children's feet could be heard as well as the teacher trying to form a semblance of order. Quietly, the sneaking child hopped up on some nearby boxes and slowly pushed the hatch door up. Making sure the teacher had her back turned, the child heaved itself up onto the floor of the classroom. Its classmates were slowly making their way to the seats, but a few caught sight of the child and started snickering. Knowing that the laughter would catch the teacher's attention, the child tried to quickly get up and away from the desk.

"Mr. Sparrow!" Unfortunately, Harry was too late. His teacher seemed to dash to his side to take an ear of his into her hand. Sucking in air through clenched teeth, Harry prepared himself for a lecture he had already memorized, a remarkable thing for a boy of eight. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't use the emergency tunnels! No one would know you're down there if you were hurt!" The teacher's quick and shrill French was still a little hard for Harry to understand completely, but after hearing it multiple times, Harry could site it back word for word.

After suffering a few more minutes at the hands of his teacher, she finally released him and he took his seat. The other children around him started laughing and talking about how he always got caught and in trouble. Harry smiled happily as he played with his ruby ring. Dudley wouldn't be up for a few more hours, but he could entertain himself until then.

The two cousins had been corresponding with each other the past year. After Dudley had gotten the first letter, he had gone and said Harry's name to the illusion. The Illusion Harry had smiled before going still. Dudley had paused before venturing a quiet hello. On the other side of the ocean, Harry's ring had started dully glowing. Harry's cheeks almost couldn't handle the smile that formed on his face when he heard the voice coming out of it for the first time. Since then, the two cousins had stayed in contact with each other.

oOoOo

Harry grabbed his lunch pail from his backpack and headed for his tree. At least, he called it his tree and everyone else called it the Tree of Sparrow. There were only a few who had transferred from out of the area, but the others all knew who a Sparrow was. Most of them didn't want to get on his bad side, so other than making fun of his tardiness and unruliness, the other children mostly kept to themselves save a few of Harry's friends. This was fine for Harry who was content to sit under his tree and play with Jack. The monkey would often visit Harry in the school yard. Harry never got in trouble for it for none of the adults could spot the undead monkey when someone reported seeing the animal. No pets allowed in school after all. Harry thought that Jack did it on purpose just to see if he could get him into trouble. That or steal his bananas.

Harry smiled when his ring glowed. Dudley was up. His cousin was currently trying to talk his parents into letting him join the local soccer team. Football as they called it back in England. Aunt Petunia was scared that her precious Duddikins would hurt himself while Uncle Vernon seemed all for it. Harry rolled his eyes when his cousin started his daily rant about the two fighting about the soccer.

oOoOo

All could be seen was a dark blur as Harry raced from the school house to his home. He had heard from the loud school grapevine that the Flying Dutchman had been seen off the coast of Little Sparrow Island as the locals had come to call it. Papa Jack had been gone for a week now and wouldn't be back for almost a month, and he hadn't seen Daddy Will for three days.

Gingerly crossing the rope bridge, he raced to his front porch, wrenched open the front door, threw his backpack into the kitchen table, and raced down the beach. While both the Dutchman and the Pearl could dock at the regular docks, they had decided to use the small sand dunes that connected to Little Sparrow Island as their landing points.

Harry stopped in his tracks when there was no Dutchman to be seen at her usual spot. Rather disappointed, Harry started to turn around, but stopped when he heard a loud splash. Whirling around, Harry turned in time to watch the Dutchman make it's ascension from the depths of the water. His spirits back up, Harry dashed down a watery sand dune to meet the first dingy.

Harry approached the dingy and started looking for Will. However, something else caught his eye. There, in the boat, was a small figure wrapped in dry blankets, surrounded by most of the women from the ship. The figure was shivering. Deciding to get the person onto dry land, Harry helped toe the small boat to shore as much as he could with the other adults.

Once on shore, Harry turned to the small person, ready to help them. It must have been a new recruit. Harry had met a few of them, but they usually never stayed long. He was given a surprise, however, when green eyes met green eyes. Blinking, Harry asked, "Who are you?"

The figure took a few seconds to process the question. Finally, the person spoke up. "Sara. Sara Williams. Who are you?"

Harry cocked his head before smiling at her. "Harry Sparrow, at yer service, love. Welcome to Little Sparrow Island."


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: Finally! I return! I am so sorry that I've not updated as long as I have. I've been dead tired each night I get home. Also I've been fighting a bit of writers block. Sorry if this chapter seems choppy and short. I wanted to get this out with as much of the stuff I wanted to cover in it.

I do have some news though. I'm planning on only having one more chapter after this one. Then, that will be the end of the first book. I'll start on the second book, Harry's time at Hogwarts, directly after.

To Kin Pandun: Thanks for clearing that up. I was worrying that I had done something wrong. I'm serious that I haven't seen the movie, but I think I just might. You know, just to see what all the fuss was about. Thanks for the help though. I've been trying to do research myself on ship parts and what not, but not having much luck.

To Dadaiiro: Thank you so much for your questions. You have no idea how much of a help they were to me. I hope that this chapter answers some of them for you.

To P.A.W.07: Seriously, thanks for the pep talk. I was beginning to think I should have gone back and taken Sara out of it. I'm glad you liked pirate talking Harry. He doesn't say much in this chapter, but you'll get to hear him more later on. I'm trying to find the right flavor of Jack and Will for his speech, ya know? I think I need to go watch the movies again.

To steffles24: Yay! I'm glad you liked what I've done with Sara so far. And I'm honored that you would say what you have about my story. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't as in-depth as you've made my last chapter out to be, but again, it's a filler for the next, and finial, chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

To moonfyre: Oh yes. Sara yelling at Captain Will. Hehe. If you liked that, I think you'll like what I've got in this chapter. Enjoy.

To DoubleTime: You hit the nail on the head. Where Dudley is Harry's connection in England and 'regular' life, Sara I plan to be Dudley's mirror as Harry's connection to the Caribbean 'pirate' life while he is going on living his 'magic' life.

To the-dreamer4: Hehe. Yes, I know. My spelling and grammar suck. I was never good at it, yet I always ace English. Go figure. That and Word doesn't catch everything. I hope this isn't too bad for you to read. Enjoy.

To Tanydwr: Thank you so much for reading my piece of fiction here. I'm glad you liked it so much. You do bring up some good points. I shall have to look more into it. I was thinking of something in between Jack and Will, ya know? As for houses…I actually haven't decided yet. But I will soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

To Darkness Chan: Alright, do you know how much you're making me blush? Thank you so much for the complement. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the others.

A Few Moments in Time

Jack was flabbergasted. He had received yet another shower, courtesy of Calypso no doubt, that held yet another bottle with yet another letter. This time it was from Will. Or at least the letter was; the shower had the goddess' name all over it. The point was, though, that Will had sent an urgent letter to him through that dratted goddess to come home. What Jack found when he got to Little Sparrow Island, he still smiled at the name, made him speechless for the first time in almost two hundred years. The last time being when that group of Gitanos in Spain had all flocked to Will and none would land a kind eye on him. What was Will thinking when he allowed a young girl, not even of age to wed, into his crew? Surely he had gone nuts. Once given the whole story, the nuts part was quite acceptable. The only way out of the situation, Jack saw, was if either Will kicked her out, something the ferryman more than likely wouldn't, or she would decide to go on to the afterlife, something Jack didn't think would happen either if the way she and Harry had hit it off were any indication. Indeed, the two were currently making sand castles down on the beach of the island. Jack reached for his fourth bottle of rum on the ground beside him.

Will had been surprised at his best mate's response to Sara. Yes, he had sent the urgent letter through Harry who passed it on to Calypso to send to Jack, but only because he had no idea of what to do. Whither or not Jack realized it, he had a way with kids that while Will had the experience of a father, he didn't seem to have the same touch with children that Jack had, fierce pirate or not. When Jack had suddenly gone silent, dashing any hopes Will had of receiving help or advice, Will knew he was in trouble. It was when Jack didn't make sound that hell had come to the living world. Will had since been hiding from him like a puppy hiding from its angry owner.

oOoOo

"Aguamenti," Harry said as he waved his hand. A ball of water appeared in the air before him the size of his fist. Sara clapped at her new friend's show of power. Harry moved his hand and the ball followed in the air. Crossing his arms, the water formed a sort of bridge between his two hands. As he twirled his hands together, the water formed a spinning wheel around his arms. Stepping and then leaning back, he cupped his hands together and the water formed a small ball at his side, out of sight of his current audience. Suddenly, he thrust his hands away from himself with his wrists together and his palms facing away. The water seemed to form a thick stream, heading directly for Sara. Startled, Sara ducked only to gasp in awe as the water parted in different direction around her. The smaller branches of the water started forming pillars around her. Suddenly, she could make out figures being formed from the water. Aquatic dancers seemed to take form as they did a small dance around her.

Harry smiled at his new friend and he showed off his power. He didn't get to do it often, but when he could it was always so much fun.

Deciding to heat things up, Harry cast his next spell. "Incendio." With a wave of his hand, fiery jets joined alongside the water dancers, forming a new set of flaming dancers. Sara gasped and clapped at the new spectacle surrounding her.

Smirking, Harry quickly whirled his arms and the dancers turned into pillars of water and fire once more before darting back towards Harry's hands, fire into one hand while water went into the other. Once the fire and water were two little balls in his grasp, he clapped his hands together, mixing the two elements. The fire met the water with a hiss, casting steam to surround the area. Once the steam cleared, Sara was surprised to not see Harry around anywhere. Starting to panic, she jumped and yelped when a voice sounded beside her. "So, what do ya think?"

oOoOo

James and Anamaria watched the Dutchman's captain pace back and forth. They knew that technically, Jack was not truly angry with him, but with Jack one never really knew. The pirate had been avoiding Will the past few hours, if only to make his mate sweat. And sweat Will did as he continued to pace back and forth.

Will was only disturbed from his pacing when Harry came running down the beach like a bat disturbed from its cave, Sara not far behind. As they got closer, he could make out from his new recruit, "I'll teach you not to scare me like that you stupid little boy! Never do that to me again, you hear?" she continued to scream as they raced by. Will blinked when he thought he could see a stick stuck firmly in her hands as she raced after Harry, swinging it whenever she thought she got close enough to hit.

As Will continued to blink, Anamaria fell down laughing, James covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes tearing once more, and from a little ways down, one could hear Jack's booming laugh as the two children raced under the tree he was sitting in as he watched his mate suffer.

oOoOo

"Once mor' 'Arry. Again. 'Mobilicorpus'," Tia coached one afternoon. Harry was ten now with his eleventh birthday coming up. Calypso was determined to fill his brain with as much wizarding knowledge as she humanly could. She had already informed his fathers about the letter they were to expect on Harry's birthday, but she had not yet told the boy.

"Mobilicorpus!" Harry exclaimed as he reached out towards Ragetti who was lying on his back relaxing as the two used him as a guinea pig. Harry frowned when the Pearl pirate hardly moved an inch off the ground. Tia smirked when newer determination reached his eyes. She was mighty proud of her little student. In the few years she had taken him under her wave, she was proud to see him flourish. Yes, when the letter arrived, he would be ready for the wizarding world. But the question remained, she mussed as Ragetti gave a startled yelp when he found himself six feet off the ground and Harry too startled to bring him down, was the wizarding world ready for Harry? Oh well. They'll learn. With another yelp, Ragetti hit the ground with a great smack.

A little ways away from the goddess and student duo, Jack and Will both sat watching the lesson, Pintel with them in stitches as Ragetti, who had offered himself up, suddenly dropped like a rock. They too were terribly proud of their son. The kid had come a long way from the quiet mouse to the up and coming pirate he was now. Neither would admit it, but both were not looking forward to the future letter.

Will smiled to himself as he remembered when Harry had almost beaten him at a sparring match the other day. Harry had taken to a sword as a fish took to water. Will was actually already working on a newer, better set of swords and knives for Harry's birthday. If his son was to go into a hostile environment unprepared, he would let Pintel pierce his heart. Will smirked at the thought. Calypso wouldn't like that.

Jack nearly choked on his rum as he joined his crewmate in his laughter. Oh yes, Harry was coming along nicely. And if his magic along with his aim was anything to go by, then Harry was a shoe in for when he got his wand. Norrington hadn't been too thrilled when he had started teaching the lad 'bad habits' as he had called them, but even the former Commodore had to agree that Harry's aim was quite admirable for a lad his age. Jack started frowning a little when he remembered that, in retaliation, James had started teaching the boy how to be prim and proper as a sailor of the queen was in his day. Yes, that sort of thing was well and all with the ladies, but he was to be a pirate for goodness sake. Not some Red Coat with a straight back and all. And Will hadn't done anything to stop it either. Anamaria had even stopped him, her own captain, from interfering with Norrington's lessons. It felt like everyone was conspiring against him when it came to his son. Will even refused to allow Harry have a drink of rum. Anamaria had back him up on that, the little traitor, but surprisingly Norrington had thought a little wouldn't hurt. Mr. Gibbs had agreed with his captain heartedly as he carried his own pint glass. 'Oh well,' Jack thought with a smirk as he took a sip more of his rum. There were plenty of other things he had taught the lad other than how to shoot and pick locks.

oOoOo

Harry skipped along the shore line after school one day. Miss Writing was coming by today to check on things. Harry smiled as he thought of his social worker. She had been coming to check up on him from time to time and less frequently after he had turned eight. Before she had come every other day, then every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, then only on weekends, until she started coming only once a week on Friday to see how his school days had been.

Harry smirked a little as he remembered when Sara and Sara had met for the first time. And when Dad had run like mad to his ship to get away from the maddened social worker. Will had been so panicked, he had forgotten he could teleport, again. Their Sara had to reassure Miss Writing that it had been her decision to join the Dutchman because she wanted to wait for her parents. It wasn't until Miss Sara had been a good twelve yards away from the beach line that Will thought it safe to come back ashore.

Harry's smirk widened as his mind drifted to his upcoming birthday the next morning.. He would be reentering the wizarding world soon. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, but he had decided long ago when he had been told about the school in the first place that he would treat his time there as an adventure, just as Papa did with his excursions and treasure hunts. He would look at it as an adventure and a game. Harry frowned a little. He didn't know much about the school, and really, if he were to treat it like a game, he needed to know the rules. And then how to bend them. Harry's smirk returned. It was time to hit the book shops once they started school shopping.


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I never thought I would ever get this thing out. I started it several times, several of which were either too sappy, too serious, or just too…something. As it is, this chapter was like pulling teeth.

I'm thinking about leaving this fic to when Harry gets to Hogwarts. I do not have the time or the patients to go through each year. Not to mention that my inspiration is being directed elsewhere. Saying that, I think there are only a few more chapters to be written here which I hope to do over winter break.

I apologize if the characters seem out of character or if there are things that don't make sense or follow what I've written so far. It's been so long, I'll have to go back over the chapters more thoroughly than I have. I'm planning on going back through and maybe reworking this chapter to better fit into the rest of the story.

I'd like to dedicate the end of this chapter to peppymint. It's not exactly the same as peppy's image, but I think it's worth a few laughs at the very least.

I'd also like to give out a very special thanks to everyone who has stayed with me up to this point. A year plus is a long time to not update and it means a lot that so many have stuck around.

Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

oOoOo

Just Another Day

oOoOo

"Yo ho, yo ho. A pirate's life fo' me," Harry whispered as he leaned over the edge of the crow's nest on the Black Pearl, looking out into the grey fog. They were coming upon their usual dock in the British waters. The foghorns could be heard, amplified by the fog. A short while later, the young wizard-to-be could make out the shadows of buildings.

This wasn't the first time he had come to London. Papa had thought it a good idea to remain at least acquainted with his homeland. Dad hadn't liked the idea so much, but had eventually caved after Harry had shown interest. Harry had to smile as he remembered his first trip back. The Dursleys had never allowed him out of the house, pawning him off to the weird cat lady whenever they went somewhere. With Jack and Will, however, they had spent nearly a week exploring the English islands with running commentary from Jack and Uncle James covering topics from the British Navy to secret pirate coves, ship battles, and where to find the best rum. Auntie 'Maria had taken him to various clothing shops while Will showed him around a few museums that displayed the time period most of his family was from.

Harry was jostled from his musings by the sounds of someone climbing into the crow's nest with him. Turning his head, he could make out the long hair of Anamaria in the corner of his eye. He smiled and turned back to watch the people mill about on the dock.

"We're a'most ready ta go, Harry. You have y'ur things packed?" Anamaria asked quietly as she leaned next to the lad she had come to see as family.

Harry pursed his lips into a grimace, one eye squinting as he answered, "Aye, I have. Doesn't mean I 'ave to like it though."

"Oh? And wha's not ta like about it?" Her question was met with silence as the two watched the crew below finish docking procedures. Dad and Uncle James would be coming from the Dutchman from further out at sea.

Harry pondered just why he was starting to feel apprehensive. After first learning of attending a school for magic, he had been ecstatic. But now, now that he was about to step off the boat he had come to consider a home, he was to step onto a foreign land indefinitely. Not being able to see his family and friends for such a long period of time, not to mention the sea he had grown up with was rather disconcerting.

Finally, Harry answered, "I su'pose I'm a little nervous. It's kind of like the first day of school, only I know the language and I won' be goin' home in the afternoon. It will be right weird not ta hear the ocean seein' how far inland I'll be." He fell back into contemplative silence, waiting to hear what his aunt had to say.

'Maria nodded her head as she listened to the young pirate speak his feelings. She allowed a short time to pass after his confession to allow him to think on his words before she went into her own response. "That be quite normal fer a lad your age, Harry. While you are not a normal lad, you've go' Captains Jack an' Will to thank fer tha', you still get a might nervous at the unknown. That is perfectly normal. 'Specialy since you'll be leavin' home for a longer period of time than you're used to. And you wan' ta know a little secret?" she inquired as she nudged the boy to get his attention.

"What?"

"Even adults get tha' feeling. I know I'm right worried abou' ya going off to some school were we can't reach you. I also know the boys down there are just as worried as I."

"Dad and Pops?" Harry inquired bewildered. 'Maria nodded.

"Them especially," she commented as the ship gave a small lurch. "Well, all ashore," she quipped with a smile, satisfied with herself as she carefully made her way out of the crow's nest and down the ropes.

The eleven year old had his face set in thoughtful concentration before he seemingly came to a conclusion with himself. Giving a brisk nod to no one, Harry vaulted himself over the edge of the crow's nest, allowing gravity to do the rest as he grabbed a loose rope which swung him down onto the deck.

oOoOo

With the crew consisting of himself, his fathers, and his Uncle James and Auntie 'Maria, Harry found himself contently walking between the two pirate captains, a hand in each of his, as they strolled down the streets of Downtown London. He was supposed to be looking for a tavern called the Leaky Cauldron, but the nervous young pirate was busy memorizing the feeling of contentment he got from his two father figures.

"I 'now it's here's somewhere," Jack mumbled as he stroked his beard, his head darting back and forth.

Will raised an eyebrow having heard his mate's mumbling. "You've been before, Jack?"

Jack jumped, nearly dislodging himself from Harry before looking away. "Yes, well…as a matter o' speaking. A good pirate always knows where 'e is going. A map is o'ly a tool, yes? B'sides, best ta teach 'Arry…"

"You've been before, Jack. Now where is the bloody tavern," James interrupted as he came up behind the trio. "It would be best we got out of the public view. You're drawing too much attention as it is." Harry giggled. Indeed, the Black Pearl captain, while dressed to blend in, still caused heads to turn. A man, with as dark a tan as his with dreadlocks tied in a tail at his neck, in the middle of London that was obviously not a tourist attraction was always something to stare at.

Indignant at the ribbing, Jack stuck his nose up in the air, his chin jutting out as he replied, "Fine. Be tha' way, then. Yes, I've been there. No, I did no' cause much trouble," he insisted before Will could form a sentence, "No, no one go' hurt. And for your information, Commodore," he returned his attention back to James, the others smiling, "the Leaky Cauldron, as those wizar's so call it, be righ' behind you," he finished with a smirk, pointing up. Harry let go of both hands in his as everyone whirled to look where the pirate was pointing. Indeed, there was an old-fashioned wooden sign overhanging an alcove with a cauldron and a stirring spoon scorched into it. Underneath, the name of the pub was scorched in simple cursive.

"Righ' then," Jack said as he went to open the door. "Shall we be on our way?" James grumbled, muttering various methods of torturing the near-immortal pirate under his breath. Anamaria rolled her eyes before grabbing the back of her fellow second by the back of his coat collar.

As the group of five filed into the small tavern, Harry safely in the grasp of Will, the patrons went silent. Will held tightly to Harry as 'Maria and James stood in front. Jack took point, ignoring the attention while still paying attention, and made his way to speak with the bar keep, the other following cautiously behind.

"My good man," Jack started. "We be need o' assistance in entering Diagon Alley. We've go' school shopping ta do," he explained as he gestured towards Harry with a flourish and a smile. The patrons went back to their own business; a school kid was of no concern to them.

The barkeep smiled, put at ease that they were only there for shopping and at the strange man's gestures. Familiar gestures at that. Where had se seen this man before? "Of course, of course. The name's Tom. The entrance is through that there door," he explained as he nodded towards said door. "You need only to tap a brick, third up and two across from the trashcan, with your wand."

"Tha' be a problem, mate," Jack said easily with a smile. "See, none in me party owns said wand an' tha lad has yet to acquire his." Tom's face took on a stonier tone.

"Yr all muggles?" he asked with suspicion.

"In a manner of speaking," Jack answered, his grin never drooping though on the inside he was ready to pull his gun out. Just threaten the man and it'd be done by now. Of course, the other adults were ready to do the same. The barkeeps eyes set them all on edge.

Tom nodded sharply before setting the glass he had been cleaning down. Walking from behind the counter, he made his way through the door, the pirate crew following as curious eyes followed from the patrons now interested again. "Forgive my suspiciousness," Tom apologized though any could tell he was lying, "it's not often a group of muggles come through, even if it is for school shopping." Having said his piece, he took out his wand from a pocket in his apron and tapped the appropriate brick. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," he said over his shoulder as he quickly returned to the main area of the pub.

"Well he was pleasant," 'Maria grumbled, ignoring the moving bricks as the Alley was revealed. She had seen stranger.

"If that's the welcoming committee…" Will trailed off, still keeping the youngest of the group close to his person. The frown on James' gave voice to his similar thoughts.

"Relax, mate," Jack directed towards Will. "The worst o' it is over. Now, wha' do ya think, Harry?" he asked only to give a true grin when it was finally noticed that Harry was not pay attention. Instead of listening to the adults grumble about the barkeeper's hostility, Harry had decided to check out what was beyond the new doorway. The hustle and bustle of the crowd reminded him of the open markets back home. The clothing, on the other hand, made him nervous. He had been told by Tia that wizards wore robes, but he hadn't been prepared for this.

Swallowing sharply, Harry asked, "Can we get tha robes first? I'd like ta get tha' done and over with."

Will chuckled. "Of course. But first, I believe we have some money we have to exchange," he said with a nod towards Jack.

"Quite right. Gringotts Bank i' is then," the Black Pearl captain said quickly as he made his way forward.

"And just where is this bank, Jack?" James drawled, only to scowl when the pirate captain pointed up in the distance. "Never mind," the peeved pirate ground out as he cast a hateful glare at a sign that said 'Gringotts Bank' in big bold letters.

While Will and 'Maria chuckled at the ex-commodore, Harry swiveled his head from side to side, trying to see everything at once. As the group casually strolled down the strip, Harry could hear the merchants calling out their wares. Magic hats from one shop, fresh bat eyes from another, and one shop didn't even need advertising, the hooting owls did it alone.

Finally starting to look around, Will couldn't help but give a sigh. "It feels as though we've jumped back to the 1600s. These sign posts are done the same way they were back in Port Royal. Even the style of dress is similar only more…" Will gestured with a hand, trying to find the word he was looking for.

"Ancient," Jack supplied. "They dress as though they were back in tha middle ages minus tha frilly bits."

"They are not very conventional," James agreed.

"How do ya thin' they fight?" Anamaria wondered.

"Certainly not very well, at least not with a sword or firearm. But these people use magic, long range, which can be blocked unlike a bullet. The book shop might be able to tell us more," Will commented as they passed by a store that obviously sold books from the way the stacks in the window literally tittered as though to fall at any moment.

The group continued on, making various comments on various items and topics as they went. It wasn't long until they made their way up the steps of the bank. A large sign caught Harry's eye. Glancing over it, he smirked and began to read, "Enter, stranger, but take heed of what awaits the sin of greed, for those who take, but do not earn, must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors a treasure that was never yours, thief, you have been warned, beware of finding more than treasure there."

"Now that' be a cheery though'," 'Maria said with a smirk.

"Why, if I didn't know any better, I would think they were talking to you, Sparrow," James ribbed.

"Oh shut it," was Jack's reply with a hint of a pout.

"I wonder what else is under there," Harry murmured aloud as they continued.

Jack bent down and whispered in to Harry's ear, loud enough for the group to hear, "Dragons."

"Dragons?" Harry asked excitedly, his eyes shinning with wonder.

"And just how do you know this, Jack?" Will asked with a raised brow.

"Well, it be a very interestin' story, that. By certain circumstances not of my will…" the captain was cut off by the shrill sound of a whistle just as they reached the doors. "They stopped me." The other adults only had enough time to gather around Harry before the doors were flung open and a wave of short, brown creatures came crashing through, each wielding a spear and each spear directed towards the captain of the Black Pearl.

"Jack," Will said with stern exasperation. "What did you steal this time?"

"Nothing!" the accused exclaimed, his hands in the air. "All I's did was explore their passage way maze thing. I took nothing," he claimed indignantly.

"That you did, Jack Sparrow," an unarmed creature stated as it made its way through the crowd to confront the pinned pirate.

"It's Captain, Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Captain Jack Sparrow, then. And regardless of title, you were forbidden from ever setting foot in my bank again. Us goblins have not forgotten the chaos you cased the first and last time you were here."

"Goblins?" Harry breathed in wonder, carefully studying the creatures in front of him.

Unmindful of his son's wonder, Will groaned into his hands, the other two also showing their own exasperation at the sticky hands Jack seemed to possess. "And what did he do this time, might I ask," Will questioned the one who addressed the surrounded pirate.

The leading goblin turned towards the Dutchman's captain. "Are you the one responsible for him?"

"In a manner of speaking…"

"He was correct that he took nothing from our vaults, only seeing as how we were able to collect them from him. He bypassed some of our highest wards, spells, and safety measures and proceeded to send my men on a while goose chase through the dungeons, all the while causing havoc with the dragons. We finally captured him by luring him into a vault when it was discovered that he had a weakness for rum which was only found when he dropped a bottle and tried to go back for it. We recovered the stolen items and had him enclosed in the vault. This particular vault has one way in and no way out. We had contacted the local aurors, but when we went to open the vault, the scoundrel was gone; a sheet of paper was all that remained. I'll never forget the words on it either: 'This is the day you will all remember when you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow."

By this time, the pirates were glaring something fierce at the trouble-loving pirate. Harry's face had turned red, his stomach cramping from trying to hold in his laughter. Jack kept his hands up as he looked towards his mates. A weak smile slowly came across his face, his eyes widening, trying to broadcast the 'pity me' signal against the murder being directed towards him. With a hunch of his shoulders, the accused pirate could only say, "Parley?"


	22. Chapter 22

**August 3, 2011 Author's Notes:** Hello everyone! It has been about 2 years since I have last updated, well, anything, and I don't think this would count as an update at all. In fact, this is more of an announcement than anything.

I have received many marvelous reviews and several death threats to continue this story. I have also received several PMs requesting a PM for when MSaS is continued. Right now, I want to thank each and every one of you for every review, threat, and PM, but I have some good and bad news for you.

First the bad. To those requesting PMs, I'm afraid I cannot comply as there are far too many of you to keep track of.

Now, the good. Someone has finally decided to continue 'Magical Secrets at Sea'! Older than Time has as of now 2 chapters up in his continuation titled 'Magical Secrets as Sea II Piracy in Scotland'. For links to Older than Time's profile as well as a link to the story, please see my profile.

Well, that's it people. The end to an era has come, and with it a start of a new. Thank you all so very much!

oOoOo

Author's Notes: This is it ladies and gentlemen. The last chapter. I can't believe that I'm actually going to be able to say that this story is complete. It took me over six hours to think and type up. It resulted in over 6000 words and almost 12 pages, my largest chapter yet. As it is, it's 1:30 in the morning and I'm ready to go to bed.

To all of my reviewers and those that have stuck with me through this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I'd give out individual thank you's, but there are too many to go through coherently.

oOoOo

From Start to Finish and Back Again

oOoOo

Wind could be heard through the crack of an open window as tree after green tree seemed to fly by. A deep whistle could be heard, seeming to play in the air. Boats and cars were one thing, but a train was something different. The clacking of the wheels for one was distracting enough. It was nothing like the creaking of wood on water and it was constant, quick, and sharp. It seemed as though he could feel each rail on the track as the car he sat in went over them. The sway of the car was also jerky. Harry decided he didn't like it. The only good part was the scenery. It wasn't water, but the rolling hills, if he imagined enough, seemed to take on the movements of the ocean he currently longed for. The small, cramped compartment he was currently sitting alone in had nothing on some of the living quarters he had seen in some boats, but even they had the open deck for people to move about and stretch. With the train, all you could do is sit and if you did venture out, passing by someone was always a close encounter. Yes, Harry really didn't like trains.

A soft hoot sounded from a rounded cage next to the young wizard-to-be, pulling him from his current bout of homesickness. Turning around, Harry smiled at the snowy owl, perched on top of her cage, Dad had given him. He smiled as he remembered the trip in Diagon Alley. It had taken some fast and smooth talking by Will and James to allow Jack to even leave the steps of the bank. Anamaria was of no help considering that after her anger and exasperation had worn off, she had gone into a laughing fit. Jack had pouted when she wouldn't stop. His pout became even worse when the goblins stuck their spears closer to his person each time he tried to speak. Harry in the meantime hung close to Will, trying not to laugh and not succeeding very well.

Eventually, the head goblin released the trouble-loving pirate into his party's care so long as they never allowed him to set foot on their property again. This had left the party in a dilemma. Harry needed money for school shopping, but Jack couldn't go anywhere near the bank. Deciding to keep the peace, James volunteered to take the young lad with him to exchange their gold into galleons. This would allow Will to look after Jack seeing as Anamaria would allow her captain to do as he wished for her own amusement.

With that settled, it only took a few minutes for the entire process, yet when it was learned that Harry Potter had a trust fund, things become complicated. To say that Harry was surprised was an understatement. He had his own wealth in this bank? Surely someone, more than likely the person who currently held his key, would have taken it by now. The young pirate decided it a wise decision on Uncle James' part to just exchange their gold and wait on deciding about the trust fund. When they reported back to the two captains, neither were exceptionally happy. It was yet one more thing to add to the list of 'Things Needing to be Investigated and Shot in the Head About.' That didn't make their trip to the Alley any less pleasant, however. Jack and Harry quickly started a game of running back and forth across the street, staring into the window of different shops, meeting in the middle with the rest of the group and reporting back what they saw. If there was something that sounded even close to what was needed on Harry's school list, they made a stop and purchase.

It was when they had stopped at a clothing store for uniforms that Will backed out quietly as the boy was being poked by Madam Malkin. It was also while Harry was being fitted that he met a potential classmate. Another boy about his age was standing in the fitting room next to him. His slicked, white hair reminded Harry of the few sketches and descriptions of Uncle James when he still wore his powdered wig as a commodore, only simpler. Were wizards so far back in time that they still powered their hair? The boy had introduced himself as Draco Malfoy, but the young pirate quickly tuned him out when he caught his tone of voice. He sounded like a snobbish prince. Harry only paid enough attention to what the boy looked like and the key focuses of a partially one-sided conversation. Afterwards, Harry couldn't for the life of him remember what had been said and thanked whatever god was watching him that day that the boy's father had come to pick him up. Ironically, the boy could have passed as a miniature double of his father. Had wizards discovered cloning?

All thought of powered wigs and clones vanished form his mind, however, when he caught sight of his dad outside of the window. In his hands, a snowy owl contently rested in a cage.

Harry was brought back from his musings with another hoot. The owl was a sight to behold. Her plumage was a vibrant white and layered with stripes of gray on the tips. Her eyes were of the brightest blue, a color he had only seen in the Caribbean shores, and held so much intelligence that it was almost unnerving. Her talons were sharpened to a fine point that the boy-wizard knew would be deadly to those that angered her. Her beak was perfectly round and smooth, no imperfection to be seen. It too ended in a sharp point that Harry swore could rival one of his dad's blades. In all, the avian was a work of art; elegant and poised. It baffled him, however, as to why his dad decided that he should have an owl. She didn't look as though she would thrive in tropical weather very well let alone at sea. Will had said that it would be difficult to communicate through their regular channels and thought an owl, a commonly used form of communication, was the answer. What the Dutchman couldn't answer was why this particular owl. All he said was that he felt drawn. "An' I can see why," Harry murmured as he reached out to run his fingers through the avian's head feathers, careful not to stroke the wrong way. "I still have ta come up wi' a name for you. Shame Papa was righ' about pirates; never very clever wi' names. Per'aps I should wait 'til I can think like a wizard, aye?" The owl bobbed her head as though nodding in agreement before taking flight to land on the head rest above and next to her owner. The young pirate smiled and continued to look out the window and the rolling ocean of grass.

oOoOo

Nothing of much importance happened through the early part of the trip. Harry eventually tired of watching the land fly by and decided to read one of his texts. Potions was something he was quite interested in. he had skimmed the required book, looking for anything that caught his eye, and several potions came to mind. The Pepperup Potion looked like something any sailor would love. The cold salty water and air was prone to making even the hardiest of sailors sick on occasion. Other potions also seemed to be something of worth, each ranging from anti-toxins to nutritional supplements. The potential of the nutritional supplements alone were mind boggling. No need to worry about scurvy.

Armed with his book, the young pirate settled into his seat, comforted by the soft sounds from his owl as she slept above him and the whistling of the wind as the train continued on. It wasn't until roughly midday that the lad was aroused from his reading by a knock at his compartment door. Curious, he dog-eared his place and set his text down as he went to answer. What greeted him was a cart full of brightly colored objects and packages. "Anything off the trolley, dear," a voice asked. With his gaze hovering over the strange merchandise, Harry had not seen the lady the cart obviously belonged to.

"Sorry, ma'am," the lad replied as he smiled, being sure to not slur as Uncle James had instructed. "You startled me," Harry confessed as he abashedly rubbed the back of his head. "Might I ask what all of this is?" The lady smiled kindly back.

"Treats, my dear. Pastries, cookies, and candies. There is a feast awaiting you at your school, but you're sure to be hungry on the way up. This is you first time in the magical world, yes?" Harry nodded. "Not to worry. I know just what you might like. These," the lady explained as she held up a round packaged object colored the brightest orange, "is a Pumpkin Pastie, much like a sweet bun. A Cauldron Cake is really a chocolate cupcake. Nothing magical with these. Now, if you would like to try something different than pastries, I would suggest Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Each bean has a different flavor, ranging from cherry and coconut to grass and sardine. I would also suggest some Chocolate Frogs. They are not actual frogs, but are spelled to jump once. I would suggest closing your windows when you first open them. Chocolate Frogs are actually popular among the young folk for the trading cards stashed inside the packages," the trolley lady explained as she held up each item as she explained them.

"Hmmm. Choices, choices," Harry pondered. Sweets were not something he usually had a lot of. If wet, it spoiled easily, and it always killed his taste buds. Not to mention that the sugar did nothing for his system let alone his teeth. Now, if the trolley lady had something like a ham sandwich with cheese, he would take that. "I suppose I'll have a Pumpkin Pastie and two Chocolate Frogs please," he asked as he dug into his pant pocket for the spending money he had on him.

"Alright dear. That will be two Sickles and a Knut please." Grabbing the required coins, he placed them in the lady's outstretched hand before retrieving his treats from the other. "Thank you very much dear. I hope your school year is a pleasant one." Harry smiled and bowed his head as he returned his remaining money to his pocket. It was a challenge in itself remembering the currency system, but he had practice. Going from one country to another with his fathers and family made him familiar with exchanging currency. Though he had to give the wizarding world credit; theirs was the most bizarre he had seen yet. The system didn't make sense, though it was still doable. Auntie 'Maria figured that the wizards had probably lived with this system from the beginning. Uncle James called it stagnant progress.

"Thank you very much, ma'am." The trolley lady smiled in return and continued on down the train. Closing the door, the pirate settled back into his seat with a sigh. It would have been so easy to nick a few more of her items. He was sure his owl hadn't eaten anything since last night, but was quite sure the sugar would kill her. He even had a few of those frogs hidden in his hand and ready to put in his pocket. That is until the lady had smiled at him and had actually explained things to him, going so far as to offer help. The extra frogs had suddenly found their place back on her trolley with no one the wiser. "Thieving is a good sign of a pirate, yet I just couldn't…." Harry trailed off through clenched teeth and a grimace on his face, his fingers clenching and unclenching claw-like, and an annoyed tick forming above an eyebrow. The owl hooted. Giving a long suffering sigh, the boy allowed his body to relax before turning towards his purchased loot.

Unfortunately, the boy wizard never got to even open the packaging before another knock sounded from the door before it slid open. Slightly annoyed at the rudeness of the intruder to not even wait for an answer, he frowned slightly at the culprit. Said culprit happened to be a tall freckled redhead. Deciding to not give the kid time to do or say anything, Harry allowed his annoyance to sound and said, "Can I help ya?"

The red had stilled, shocked at the hint of hostility in the other's voice. Giving the tanned boy a glance over, the redhead frowned as though wondering why a kid would sound like that. That frown then deepened with anger. "What's your problem? I knocked. I was wondering if I could sit in here. My brothers are being annoying," the redhead stated in his defense. Harry, still rather peeved, gave a shrug.

"I don't care what you do," he claimed as he stuffed his food items into his coat pockets and returned to reading his potions text. He suddenly wasn't all hungry. His annoyance grew when the red head snorted and flopped into the seat furthest from the tanned weirdo. The newcomer couldn't understand why the guy seemed angry at him. All of the sun that the guy had to have gotten to get that kind of tan must have damaged him or something. And indeed, the boy was a rich tan, something close to milky almond that didn't look unhealthy. The guy wore a white buttoned up shirt with an open black pea coat that seemed to reach a little below the waist. The blue jeans seemed to be a little wrinkled, but it seemed to fit with the whole look of the guy. The outfit was topped off with polished black side-zip boots. And was that a pony tail in at his neck? He suddenly felt self conscious as he compared the guy to himself with his slightly tattered and patched sweater shirt, knee-patched pants, and an old pair of shoes that were starting to wear at the toes. He suddenly looked anywhere except at the other guy.

Harry could feel a tick starting at his temple. One minute, the kid was looking him over, an act that nearly sent the daggers hidden in his boots flying, when suddenly the kid draws into his self, a slight flush to his cheeks that certainty had nothing to do with any kind of affection. The women from the Dutchman and Pearl had taught him to tell the difference between affection and embarrassment, and this was certainly embarrassment. Well, at least he felt embarrassed about something, though if it was for the right thing was another matter. Sighing, the boy pirate asked, "What's yo'r name? I might as well know who my cabin mate is." The kid's flush seemed to darken. Seemed he hadn't realized he hadn't introduced himself.

"Sorry," the redhead said before clearing his throat. "I'm Ron, Ron Weasley. Sorry about before. My brothers are a real pain in the ass. Twins, they are, and they love their pranks. You would probably know them; Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor third years." Harry frowned in confusion before shaking his head.

"Sorry, I wouldn't know them. This is my first year." Ron's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really? You look like a second year to me. 'Course I didn't see you on the plat form and Fred and George would have probably mentioned you by now. They notice everyone." The boy pirate gave a short chuckle. "What's so funny," the redhead asked defensively.

Harry waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "No worries. Nothing important." Other than the fact that he had almost missed the Hogwarts Express because no one in his group could find the stupid platform at King's Cross. Papa had almost been arrested with insanity and disturbing the peace charges when he had asked for directions to Platform 9 3/4. They had only found it in the nick of time when Dad had decided to lean against the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. In his surprise, he somehow managed to bring Auntie 'Maria with him. It had been rather strange to see two pairs of legs sticking out of a seemingly solid brick wall, yet no one else except their group seemed to notice. "Harry Sparrow, at yer service, mate."

"Sparrow? Never heard that sire name before. Are you a muggleborn?"

"What's a muggleborn?" Ron smiled knowingly.

"It's when a kid is born to two non-magical parents. Non-magical people are called muggles." One of Harry's eyebrows rose in confusion as he cocked his head to the side.

"Muggle? It sounds li'e such a derogatory term. An insult. I prefer the term mundane or just plain non-magical. We're all people aft'a all." The redhead's eyes had gotten wide, never having met someone who questioned a common part of wizarding culture. "Anywho, no I'm not muggleborn. From what I've heard, my mother was a muggleborn, but me father was a full wizard. I suppose that would make me a half'n'half," Harry concluded as he stretched and crossed his arms behind his head and closing his eyes, determined to end the conversation there. Luck was not with him.

"Oh," Ron breathed out, not quite sure on what to say to that. "What do you mean by from what you heard about your parents?"

"Hm?" the lad hummed as he half opened an eye. "Oh. I'm adopted. My parents are dead," he answered nonchalantly as he closed his eye again.

"Oh. Sorry," the freckled boy commented though not really sounding it. "It's strange. There's this boy, Harry Potter, that's supposed to be on the train this year. He's really famous because he defeated You-Know-Who. His parents are also dead, killed by You-Know-Who. I've looked up and down the train, but I can't find him."

"Hmmm," Harry grunted. Strange. Hadn't he said something about annoying brothers?

"If it weren't for your sire name, you'd probably be a good choice for being Harry Potter. 'Course, you don't have his scar."

"Scar?" Oh the wonders of makeup.

"You know, the scar that You-Know-Who gave him." Harry frowned.

"Sorry, I don't know who and I know nothing about any Harry Potter." My but this kid was rude. He also seemed to have, what did Grandpa Gibbs call it? Foot-in-mouth disease.

"Oh," Ron flushed. "Sorry. Well Harry Potter is…" There was a knock at the door before it slid open to reveal a bushy-haired young girl. Harry didn't know whether to be offended or thankful for the distraction.

Before either boy could say anything, the girl asked, "Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one."

Both boys looked at each other before Harry answered, "Sorry. No one's seen any toad here.

"Shoot," the girl muttered before sliding the compartment door closed with a slight bang and click.

"Mental that one," Ron murmured. Harry stared blandly at him, slightly unsettling the boy. "Right, anyway…"

Yet another knock at the door.

Nearly growling now, Harry jumped from his seat to answer the door before someone else decided to barge in. Quickly sliding it open, Harry came face to face with the boy from the clothing store. "Oh. It's you. Draco, right?" Draco blinked at the tan boy.

"You're the one from Madame Malkin's. Glad to know you remember my name, though I don't think I caught yours. Of course, I don't think you ever threw it," he added off handedly. Harry smirked. It was the first sign of wit he had seen since the trolley lady.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy," a sneer sounded from within the compartment. Turning, Harry saw the redhead glaring at the albino. A condescending look crossed over the dragon's face as though seeing something particularly disgusting.

"My condolences. You have found your self attached to a Weasley."

"What's that supposed to mean, Malfoy?"

Harry couldn't help but cock his head in confusion. "You two know each other?"

"Unfortunately," both muttered, though when they realized they had said it together, they both flushed and turned away, determined to not look at the other.

Harry, however, was amused. They were acting like Papa and Uncle James. Complete opposites yet so much a like in most ways. Oh the fun he was going to have, he thought as he sat back down.

"What are you doing here anyway, Malfoy," Ron finally grounded out. Draco gave a dainty snort.

"In case you hadn't heard, there's a rumor that Harry Potter is on this train. I'm planning on finding him first before people like you are able to corrupt him."

"You're one to talk about corruption, Malfoy. It's people like you Harry Potter shouldn't be around." Harry wished he had a bowl of popcorn.

"Whatever do you mean, Weasley? The Malfoys are a longstanding and noble family. Why wouldn't Potter want to associate with us?"

"Last thing he needs is to associate himself with families of Death Eaters." If Draco had been pale before, he was linen white now.

"How dare you. You know my family was cleared of all charges. My father was under the Imperio."

"Claimed he was under Imperio, which is not detectable unless the victim is already under the influence." Harry stood and turned. Unlatching his trunk, he dug around for a school robe. Would either of them realize he was changing? Probably not.

"Why would my father lie about being under one of the Unforgivables?" These two were a goldmine of information, Harry decided as he pulled his robe over his head.

"Probably because he didn't want to be sent to Azkaban along with his fellow Death Eaters," Ron practically snarled. Draco's ears went pink and his eyes narrowed. With a flick of his wrist, Draco suddenly had a wand at the redhead's throat.

"How dare you…" the dragon was suddenly interrupted by a cough.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Harry with a smile, "but shouldn't you be getting changed? By the looks of things," he explained as he indicated to outside the window where in the distance lights could be seen, "we're nearly there."

Fight forgotten, the Weasley ducked under the wand and dashed for his original compartment and his clothes. The Malfoy scion, on the other hand, calmly tucked his want back to where he had taken it from. Just as he was turning to go back to his own compartment, he paused to look at the tan boy from the clothing store. "What is your name?"

"Harry Sparrow. I'm sure we'll be seeing more o' each other soon, aye?" the boy pirate asked with a large smile as he plopped back into his seat. The albino gave a breathy snort of amusement before nodding and walking away. Once he was sure the two boys were gone, Harry stood back up and strode to the far corner and squatted down to scoop up a toad he had noticed hop in during the verbal squabble. "That's interesting," he commented with a lopsided smile as he stared through the open door.

oOoOo

It was cold and drizzly with a light enough wind to be bothersome when the train finally came to a rest. Before venturing out into the virtual stampede of students, Harry opened the window for his owl so that she could find the owlery on her own, and perhaps find herself some dinner.

If the boy pirate had been interested in the fight that had happened inside his compartment doorway, what he found outside the train enthralled him. Horse skeletons with gray skin-like cloth draping over it. What the seas, what was that? Of course, his attention was quickly diverted when a voice boomed out over the throngs of students.

"Fi'st yea's! Fi'st yea's o'er this way!" Harry looked to see a giant of a man carrying an overlarge lantern. Was he a giant? He was several heads taller than Uncle James who always stood at his full height! Deciding it best to follow, Harry spotted the bushy-haired girl from before comforting a plump looking boy who was rubbing at his eyes.

"Don't worry Neville. I'm sure we'll find Trevor somewhere." Trevor, huh? Harry decided to follow behind the two as they followed along the path the giant led them.

It didn't take long until Harry heard something he didn't think he would be hearing for another nine months: water. There was a body of water near by and by the sounds of it, it was quite large. And were there were large bodies of water, there are bound to be…

"No more'n four to a boat! Everyon', watch yer step now!"

Ecstatic, Harry quickly climbed in behind the girl and boy, noticing, but not minding, when a darker skinned boy joined them. He was in a boat! How long that would last, the young pirate didn't care. All that mattered was savoring it at the moment. So into the moment he was that the lad never noticed when the boat started to move, nor did he hear the warning to duck until the boy missing his toad suddenly pulled him down by the collar of his shirt. Looking up, Harry could suddenly see a low mass of vine he would have been hit with if the boy hadn't pulled him down. There was a sudden chorus of 'ooo's and 'ahhh's as the full of Hogwarts castle came into view, yet Harry couldn't care. He'd seen palaces in India with more flare and grandeur.

The ride across the large body of water, which happened to be a lake, was over faster than the young pirate would have liked. The only interesting thing to happen was when a boy in another boat fell overboard and a giant tentacle lifted him out of the water and back into the boat. According to whispers, the tentacle belonged to the Giant Squid that lived in the lake. A Kraken? Here? Wouldn't the family back home be interested to hear this?

It wasn't until his feet were back on solid ground that Harry started looking at his fellow year-mates as they followed the giant up stone steps. It seemed as though he was leading them through a side door. Why not just go through the front?

Seeing as it was too dark, he instead zeroed in on the boy missing his toad which, if the feel of things was right, hadn't left his robe pocket. Quickly striding up behind him, a blond if the torch light was any indication, Harry quickly tapped him on a shoulder. Startled, the boy turned to face him, a look of apprehension thick on his face. Smiling, Harry offered his hand. "Hi. Harry Sparrow's the name." A tentative smile greeted his own.

"Neville Longbottom. Pleased to meet you."

"Neville, huh? You wouldn't be the one who lost his toad, now, would you?" Letting go of Harry's hand, Neville's smile faded as he nodded. "Really? Well, what a coincidence. As I was dressing, I found this li'le fellow," he explained as he dug into his robes for the toad, "croaking in a corner of my compartment. He yers by any chance?" The last time he had seen someone's face light up the way Neville's did at that moment was Sara when he had shown her his magic for the first time.

"Trevor! Oh thank you, Harry! He was a gift from my gran. I thought I'd lost him."

Conversation was stopped when they reached the top of the stairs where the giant knocked on the door, each knock sounding like a cannon. The door was opened as an elderly witch with thin lips and a stern face suddenly came into view. "Tha fi'st yea's, Pr'fessor McGonagall." The witch gave a curt nod.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from here." The giant nodded as he stepped through the door and out of sight. The witch then set her sights on the eleven-year-olds in front of her. "Welcome to Hogwarts. In a moment you'll be walking through this door and will be joining your classmates." Harry tuned her out. He had listened to the excited chatter as the students made a mass exodus from the train. Something about a singing hat, sorting, and different houses and teams. He got the gist of it. _Hogwarts, A History_, if anyone cared to read it, mentioned four houses in the Hogwarts system. He and his year-mates were going to be sorted.

Suddenly, the line was moving. Through the open doorway, up a small flight of stairs, and down several hallways the witch was followed like a mother duck and her future students stared at what could be seen. Harry had been prepared for it. The paintings moved just as he remembered and the suits of armor squeaked as the fidgeted in place. The young pirate wondered where the giraffe was.

All too soon, the strange group arrived at a large set of double doors, the witch turning sharply on her heels to face them. "Children, for a line now, if you please. Two to a row." Harry quickly latched on to Neville before the bushy-hair girl could grab his new friend.

A few minutes later, the doors opened and the pairs of first years followed their professor into what appeared to be the dining room. There were five tables: four set vertically in front of the doors while the fifth sat horizontally on a raised dais. Each table seemed to have its own color scheme except for the fifth table were it seemed as though it was where the professors ate. Simple enough. Of course, the floating candles and the strange ceiling was definitely something out of the ordinary.

Once they passed through the middle of the four tables, splashes of blue and yellow on either side, the witch suddenly stopped. At once, the first years stopped and started to crowd the front when the witch turned back around and strode towards a stool with a had and scroll on it. Picking up the scroll, she said in a clear voice, "When I call your name, please come and sit on the stool so that the Sorting Hat may place you into your houses." With that said, she unrolled the scroll and the sorting began.

Harry had to wonder as each student was slowly extracted from the crowd, placed the hat on, and was directed by the cheering of their new house to join them. He was a Sparrow now; not a Potter. P came before S and he wondered what he should do if Potter was called. It would say a lot about what kind of game to expect from this place if it was. If Sparrow was called, the next seven years should go smoothly. If Potter was called, well, let the games begin.

Slowly, the A's and B's were eliminated, as were the C's and D's. In the G's, the bushy-haired girl, Granger, was placed into Gryffindor. A few Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs later, as the L's, Harry gave his new friend a squeeze on the arm in encouragement when he was called up. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the hat decided to have Neville in Gryffindor. After L came M with Draco at the front. The had was barely on his head before the hat cried, "Slytherin!" Draco stood and made his way to the cheering table, but not before searching out Harry's eyes and smirking. A challenge.

And, of course, after M came P. Potter was at the bottom of the P's, but it still seemed like forever. A pair of twins and a few others went first. Harry started relaxing near the end, almost believing that there was going to be no hiccup. That is until, "Potter, Harry." Bloody wench. A pandemonium of whispers broke out.

"Did she say Harry Potter?"

"Not the Harry Potter?"

"Is he really going to be in the first years?"

"You think I'd be able to get his autograph?" Hell no.

"Which one is it?"

"Did anyone check the firsties' forehead as they passed?" Mind ya own business.

The professor cleared her throat. "Potter, Harry." Choices, choices. Either make a statement or play along. They had already discussed this back home, but it was still a hard thing to do. Steeling himself, the young pirate stepped forward. The whispers broke out fresh.

"Excuse me, Professor. But I think there's been a mistake," he commented at he approached. The witch blinked rapidly.

"Mistake, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes ma'am. See, Potter was my birth name. Under Haiti and British law, my name is Harry Sparrow. I was adopted a while back, you see. A common mistake, I assure you, when not all parties are notified and updated. Of course, we didn't know about Hogwarts or the magical world until the letter came, otherwise we would have notified you when it happened. So, if you would be so kind, in the future I would prefer Sparrow, alright?" he requested with a pleasant smile. The professor blinked.

"I see," the muttered as she looked back towards the head table and an elderly man with a long, white beard. That must be Dumbledoor. Turning back, the witch said, "We shall discuss this later, young man. In the mean time, if you would please put on the sorting hat." Nodding genially, Harry took the hat and went to sit on the stool. Placing the hat on, the young wizard-to-be was surprised to find that it fit over his head enough to block his sight.

"Well, well," a gravely voice sounded out in his head. "Never thought I'd see a pirate of your sort here, Mr. Sparrow. But yes, I see what is going on. Clever. Quite clever. Your goddess is a smart woman, preparing you as she has. Hogwarts hasn't had such a well prepared student in a long time. It will be refreshing to see what you do. And I see you have made a friend already. Yes, Longbottom could use a good friend and vise versa. And what of young Malfoy? Ah yes, yes I see. But now, where to place you. Hufflepuff is an option. You would do well making loyal friends, yet you might scare a few of them off. Ravenclaw would be good for you with your eagerness for knowledge, yet you would probable drive the others crazy with your pranks. That's a Gryffindor trait, but your cunning would make the other lions wary of you. Slytherin would be a good environment for you to practice, but your adventurous and spontaneous nature would set them all on edge. Any way and I'll have quite a bit of fun watching you, young one. But where to put you. Yes, I see. Then you'd better be…"

oOoOo

End-

oOoOo

Post AN: I know. I'm evil. I ended it this way to leave it open for other people to pick up where I left off. I'm still planning on continuing this in a series of one-shots with Harry in the house of my choosing. If anyone does decide to continue in this vein, please let me know.

A note about Hedwig. I love the girl. I hate reading about how she gets hurt and dies and all of that. And while I want her in my story, I don't know how to fit her into this particular story. Can you picture a snowy white owl in Tortuga? I was thinking about switching her for a hawk or something, but I wasn't too sure.

If anyone is curious about updates and what not, please don't hesitate to visit my homepage linked in my ff.n profile.

Again, a huge thanks to all of my readers. I hope I didn't disappoint too badly. ^_^ Please don't kill me.


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